FIFA confirmed today that it has “initiated disciplinary proceedings against the Spanish Football Federation over the incident that occurred during the friendly match against Egypt”, the world governing body confirmed. The chants of “Muslims, don’t jump” from the stands are therefore subject to an investigation by FIFA, a process which has already been notified to the Spanish Football Federation.
The stands at the RCDE Stadium were filled with color and encouragement for the match between Spain and Egypt. But 10 minutes into the first half, a section of the crowd chanted a shameful chant that clearly read: “Muslims, those who don’t jump are Muslims,” and many more joined in. Unfortunately, this chant was repeated several minutes later. In addition to this plaintive chant, some members of the audience remembered Vinicius by singing “Vinicius, Beach Ball.”
Video scoreboard message
At halftime, a video scoreboard displayed the message: “We would like to remind you that the Violence in Sport Act prohibits and punishes active participation in violent, xenophobic, homophobic, or racist conduct,” and a public address system asked participants to refrain from xenophobic and disrespectful chants.
A few minutes into the second half, the situation was repeated, but this time the majority of the crowd responded with a whistle, and the same warning signal as at half-time was played over the public address system. RFEF also published a message on its social networks saying: “RFEF joins our football message against racism and condemns all acts of violence at the stadium.”
Before the game, some members of the crowd booed the Egyptian national anthem, and some fans could be heard insulting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
global backlash
The government and most political parties condemned the Islamophobic and xenophobic chants uttered during the friendly match between Spain and Egypt at the RCDE stadium in Cornella El Prat, an incident that was investigated by Mossos d’Esquadra and handed over to the public prosecutor’s office.
The incident also sparked a backlash from the Muslim community and the football world, including Muslim Spanish player Lamine Yamal.
Lamine expressed his remorse for “Muslims who don’t bounce” in a statement on his social networks:
“I am a Muslim, alhamdulillah (praise be to God). Yesterday I heard chants in the stadium that said, ‘He who does not jump is a Muslim.’ I know it was about the rival team and not personally towards me, but as a Muslim it is still disrespectful and intolerable. I understand that not all fans are like that, but for those who sing these things, using religion as a mockery on the field leaves you as ignorant and racist people.”Football is meant to be enjoyed and encouraged, not disrespectful of who people are or what they believe. ”
