Fifa orders Spain to close 15% of stadium after Islamophobic chants in Egypt friendly

Fifa sanctions Spain over discriminatory chants against Egypt

Spain must play their next international friendly with a partial stadium closure after supporters sang a discriminatory chant about Muslims during a 0-0 draw with Egypt on 31 March at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona.

A group of home fans were heard chanting around the 10th minute of the first half and again at the start of the second half. An anti-discrimination message warning fans was displayed on the screen at the RCDE Stadium and was repeated early in the second half, prompting whistles from some sections of the crowd.

Fifa opened disciplinary proceedings against the Spanish Football Association for "Islamophobic and xenophobic" chants. The RFEF condemned the anti-Muslim chants after the match, and Spain coach Luis de la Fuente called them "intolerable" and said "violent people use football to carve out a space for themselves".

In its written reasons, Fifa rejected RFEF’s argument that the chants did not constitute discriminatory conduct. The disciplinary committee noted the federation could not "persuasively maintain both that the chant was entirely harmless and that it warranted activation of anti-discrimination measures".

Punishment details

Partial stadium closure of 15% for Spain’s next friendly, to be implemented primarily in the stands behind the goals.
Seats may, subject to Fifa approval, be filled with community and/or special interest groups such as families, students and anti-discrimination organisations.
A fine of $20,000 (£15,000) imposed on the RFEF.

The sanction will apply to Spain’s next friendly, with the next available window in June. If Spain qualify for the finals of the Nations League, the punishment will be delayed until an empty date during Euro 2028 qualifying next autumn.

Following the 0-0 draw, the Egyptian Football Association condemned the chants as an unacceptable "repugnant act of racism", but said the actions of a small group of fans would not affect the close relations between the Spanish and Egyptian federations.