Spain Receives Partial Stadium Ban and Fine for Discriminatory Chants Against Egypt

The Spanish national football team has been ordered to play its next international friendly match behind closed doors for a portion of the stadium, following an incident where fans engaged in discriminatory chanting during a game against Egypt on March 31.

The offensive chants, which targeted Muslims, were audible around the 10th minute of the first half and again at the start of the second half at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona.

In response, an anti-discrimination message was displayed on the stadium screens, but it was met with jeers from certain sections of the crowd, particularly when repeated early in the second half.

FIFA initiated disciplinary action against the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) over the “Islamophobic and xenophobic” nature of the chants.

The RFEF publicly condemned the behavior, with Spain’s coach, Luis de la Fuente, describing it as “intolerable” and noting that “violent individuals exploit football to assert their presence.”

However, in its defense, the RFEF argued that the chants did not qualify as discriminatory, a stance that was ultimately dismissed by FIFA’s disciplinary committee.

The committee emphasized that the RFEF could not convincingly claim both that the chants were harmless and that they justified anti-discrimination measures.

As a penalty, Spain must close off 15% of the stadium for its next friendly match, with the closure primarily affecting the areas behind the goals. The vacant seats may be allocated to community groups or special interest organizations, such as families, students, and anti-discrimination entities, pending FIFA approval.

Additionally, FIFA has imposed a fine of $20,000 on the Spanish federation.

The next scheduled friendly is in June, but if Spain qualifies for the Nations League finals, the punishment will be deferred to a break during the Euro 2028 qualifying campaign in the autumn.

The Egyptian Football Association also issued a statement condemning the chants as a “repugnant act of racism,” while affirming that the actions of a small group would not harm the strong relations between the two federations.

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