Football governing body FIFA penalised the Royal Spanish Football Federation on Tuesday with a partial stadium closure and a fine of 20,000 US dollars. The sanction stems from a goalless friendly match between Spain and Egypt on 31 March at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona.
During the first half and shortly after the second half began, a group of Spanish supporters directed discriminatory chants at Muslims. Stadium officials displayed an anti-discrimination warning on the screen and broadcast an announcement urging supporters to halt the chanting. The warning was repeated early in the second half, which prompted jeers from certain sections of the crowd.
FIFA opened disciplinary proceedings regarding the Islamophobic and xenophobic conduct observed during the fixture. The Spanish federation argued that the chant did not constitute discrimination and maintained that the word Muslim was not inherently insulting.
However, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee rejected that defence. It ruled that words not offensive in isolation could become discriminatory when used to demean a religious identity. The committee stated that the federation could not persuasively claim the chant was harmless while simultaneously activating anti-discrimination measures during the game.
FIFA acknowledged that Spanish officials cooperated with authorities, publicly condemned the incident, and sought to identify the individuals involved. Spain coach Luis de la Fuente described the incident as intolerable and stated that violent individuals were using football as a platform.
Spanish winger Lamine Yamal, who is Muslim, condemned the chants and said using religion as a taunt was disrespectful and racist. The Egyptian Football Association called the chants a repugnant act of racism while stressing that the conduct would not damage relations between the two national federations.
Under the ruling, at least 15 percent of available seats must remain closed, primarily in the stands behind the goals. The federation may allocate the affected seats to community or special-interest groups, including families, students, and anti-discrimination organisations, subject to FIFA approval.
Any proposed seating plan must include visible anti-discrimination measures and be submitted to FIFA at least 15 days before the match. The penalty applies exclusively to Spain’s next home friendly fixture rather than competitive matches, and its implementation could be delayed depending on upcoming tournament schedules.
