Overview
- The Spain–Egypt friendly at Barcelona's RCDE Stadium on Tuesday featured repeated chants of “Whoever doesn’t jump is Muslim” and boos during Egypt’s anthem.
- Catalan police opened an investigation after the chants, and Egypt’s embassy condemned the abuse while praising the swift response by authorities.
- Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez denounced what he called a small minority that stained Spain’s image and labeled the incident unacceptable.
- Barcelona’s Hansi Flick and Atlético’s Diego Simeone urged inclusion and respect in football, while Lamine Yamal, who is Muslim, said the chant was disrespectful and intolerable.
- Real Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa argued Spain is not a racist country and warned against generalizing, as the episode renews concerns about recurring racism cases and Spain’s reputation before the 2030 World Cup.