FIFA punishes Spain for Islamophobic chants in Egypt friendly

Spain’s fans have been sanctioned for a chant in its home match against Egypt. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Spain has been fined $20,000 and ordered to partially close its stadium for ​its next friendly after supporters chanted Islamophobic ‌slogans twice during a game against Egypt ​in March, FIFA said in ⁠a statement.

The sanctions relate to incidents at the RCDE Stadium near Barcelona, home of La-Liga club ‌Espanyol, where some Spain fans chanted, “Who doesn’t jump is a Muslim” during ‌a World Cup warm-up match which ‌ended ⁠in a 0-0 draw.

After the second ⁠occurrence of the chant, the stadium announcer issued a warning and the scoreboard displayed a message against ​discriminatory behaviour.

Spain winger ‌Lamine Yamal, who is Muslim, condemned the chants at the time, describing them as disrespectful and intolerable and calling those responsible “ignorant ‌and racist”.

Spanish police launched an investigation ​the following day while world governing body FIFA later started disciplinary proceedings ⁠against the Spanish football federation (RFEF).

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The RFEF argued that the word ‘Muslim’ was “neither insulting nor pejorative”, ‌adding the fans’ conduct should be assessed under FIFA’s Article 17, which covers political, ideological, religious or offensive messages, rather than Article 15, which deals with discrimination and racist abuse.

However, FIFA’s disciplinary committee rejected ‌that argument, saying Article 15 does not require the ​explicit use of a slur and that a term can be discriminatory ⁠when used in context as “an insult, taunt, or ⁠marker of inferiority”.

FIFA fined the RFEF and ordered the closure of at ‌least 15% of available seats for Spain’s next friendly.