Image Credit: PA Media
SPAIN will be forced to play their next international friendly with a partial stadium closure, after their supporters were found to be guilty of singing discriminatory chants about Muslims during a game against Egypt.
The chants reportedly came in the 10th minute of the game, and once again during the second half. Following the chants at RCDE Stadium in Barcelona, fans were warned with an anti-discrimination message, which were met with whistles from the crowd.
FIFA opened proceedings against the Spanish Football Association (RFEF), with the RFEF condemming the chants whilst Spanish coach Luis de la Fuente called them “intolerable” and said “violent people use football to carve out a space for themselves.”
RFEF argued that the chants didn’t necessarily compose of discriminatory conduct, although this was rejected by the disciplinary committee.
Spain Handed Partial Stadium Closure But Could Still Fill Seats with Loophole
Following the disciplinary proceedings, it was judged that the RFEF couldn’t “persuasively maintain both that the chant was entirely harmless and that it warranted activation of anti-discrimination measures.”
Following this, Spain must now play their next friendly with 15% of the stadium closed off. However, subject to approval from FIFA, they could be allowed to fill the seats with community and special interest groups (such as families, students, and anti-discrimination organisations), much similar to Croatia, who recently filled their stadium out with schoolchildren in their tie against England despite the fixture meant to be behind closed doors.
The stadium closure is required to be implemented primarily within the stands behind the goals, whilst FIFA has also fined the federation 20,000 Euros (£15,000).
The Egpytian Football Association labelled the chants as an unacceptable “repugnant act of racism”, but said the acts of a few fans wouldn’t damage close relations between the two countries.
