Spanish star Lamine Yamal on Wednesday condemned the anti-Muslim chants sung by Spanish fans during a friendly football match, the latest incident to tarnish the country's sporting image.
The Spanish government and the football federation also condemned the chants, and the police indicated they were investigating the behavior of fans during Tuesday's match between Spain and Egypt in Barcelona.
Lamine Yamal , who is Muslim, stated that the chants sung by some supporters at the RCDE stadium were disrespectful and intolerable. He added that the fact that these chants were not directed at him personally was irrelevant.
"I understand that not all fans are like that, but to those who chant these things: using religion as an insult on the pitch makes you look ignorant and racist," he wrote on Instagram. "Football is meant to be fun and supportive, not to disrespect people because of who they are or what they believe in."
Racist insults against players are common in Spain. Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior has often been the target of racist taunts during football matches.
Spain's national team coach, Luis de la Fuente, also condemned the anti-Muslim chants after the match, which was part of the team's preparations for the World Cup. "I feel total and absolute revulsion towards any xenophobic or racist attitude," he said. "They are intolerable."
The match ended in a 0-0 draw. Egypt is a predominantly Muslim country. "Hatred, racism, and xenophobia have no place in stadiums or in our society ," said Spanish Sports Minister Milagros Tolón on Wednesday.
Sport is about effort, hard work, and talent, but also respect, solidarity, and camaraderie. Hatred, racism, and xenophobia have no place in stadiums or in our society.
The regional police of Catalonia stated: "We will conduct an investigation into the Islamophobic and xenophobic chants sung yesterday at the RCDE stadium during the Spain-Egypt friendly match."
Barcelona's Espanyol has condemned what it called "racist behavior" in its stadium. "Such acts are reprehensible and unacceptable, do not represent the values of sport, and must be firmly condemned and eradicated from all sporting venues," Espanyol said.
The club claimed that its supporters were being unfairly blamed for the incident as part of a "smear campaign" and that the national team's supporters came from "very diverse geographical and footballing backgrounds" .
Last year, an Espanyol supporter accused of making racist remarks towards Athletic Bilbao striker Iñaki Williams during a Spanish league match in 2020 accepted a deal to avoid a prison sentence.
