Audio By Carbonatix
World football’s governing body, FIFA, has opened disciplinary proceedings against the Spanish football federation over anti-Muslim chants heard at a recent match between Spain and Egypt.
A section of fans at the RCDE stadium in Barcelona had chanted, “Whoever doesn’t jump is a Muslim”, during the international friendly on March 31.
“FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings today against the Spanish FA for the incidents in the friendly against Egypt,” the governing body said in a statement on Tuesday.
It was the latest in a string of similar incidents to overshadow Spanish football in recent years, with Real Madrid’s Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior in particular repeatedly racially abused.
Last week, Spanish police said they were investigating “Islamophobic and xenophobic” chants, and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez condemned an “unacceptable” incident while insisting that an “uncivil minority” would not be allowed to tarnish the country.
The Spanish Football Federation had also condemned the chants while Spain forward Lamine Yamal, who is Muslim and played in the match, blasted “a lack of respect” by those who are “ignorant and racist”.
Adding that he felt the chants were disrespectful and intolerable, Barcelona star, Yamal, said it didn’t matter that he was not targeted.
Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa said he does not believe that Spain was a tolerant country and not racist.
“If it were [racist], we would have a problem every weekend at all of the stadiums,” the Spaniard told reporters about his homeland.
Latest Stories
-
KMA orders removal of unauthorized canopies, awnings at shop frontages in Kumasi
10 minutes -
We are chasing Ebola virus – it is ahead of us, WHO warns
13 minutes -
Tourism Minister prioritises unfinished cultural centres over promised Kumasi theatre
13 minutes -
Ghana’s forts and castles are warning us: Climate change is also a cultural crisis
30 minutes -
Centralised decentralisation: The strings we do not see, and what managing Tema has taught me about local power
30 minutes -
Non-partisan on paper: How Ghana’s MMDCE reform could still hand every district to one party
30 minutes -
GoldBod generated $10.8bn in forex from small-scale gold — Sammy Gyamfi
41 minutes -
Running for an office and running the office
1 hour -
Drowning in data, dying from bad decisions -BigData Ghana CEO charges Africa to act
1 hour -
“It’s time for us to make our voices heard” – GAUA on strike over allowance disparity
1 hour -
Ghana’s graduates trapped in unemployment as the system fails to absorb them
1 hour -
SDA leads partnership with government to complete Agenda 111 projects
1 hour -
Hamamat launches competition series with GH¢10,000 grand prize
1 hour -
GAUA strike to halt salaries, admissions, promotions and procurement across universities
1 hour -
We cannot drink gold: The price Ghana is paying for galamsey
1 hour