Spanish police launched an investigation on Wednesday into Islamophobic and xenophobic chants during Tuesday's friendly against Egypt which also drew sharp criticism from Spain's football officials and the government.
Catalonia's regional police force, Mossos d'Esquadra, said on Wednesday they had opened an investigation into the incident © Mena Today
Spanish police launched an investigation on Wednesday into Islamophobic and xenophobic chants during Tuesday's friendly against Egypt which also drew sharp criticism from Spain's football officials and the government.
At the RCDE Stadium near Barcelona, the home ground of LaLiga club Espanyol, Spain supporters chanted "who doesn't jump is a Muslim" during the World Cup warm-up match which ended in a goalless draw.
Justice Minister Felix Bolanos denounced the chants on social media platform X, reiterating the leftist government's stance against the rise of the far right, which it associates with growing racism and xenophobia.
"Racist insults and chants shame us as a society. The far right will not leave any space free of its hatred, and those who remain silent today are complicit," he wrote.
The incident highlighted concerns about racism in Spanish soccer, a recurring issue notably involving Real Madrid's Brazilian forward Vinícius Jr., who has been targeted in high-profile cases.
The stadium displayed messages on overhead screens, reminding fans that taking part in acts of racism and xenophobia was a crime, yet the chants continued.
Spain's coach Luis de la Fuente told reporters that the racist behaviour of fans was intolerable.
"They are not representative of football. They take advantage of football, as they do in other areas of life. We need to isolate these people from society," he said.
The Spanish Football Federation said in a message on social media that it "stands against racism in football and condemns any act of violence inside stadiums".
Catalonia's regional police force, Mossos d'Esquadra, said on Wednesday they had opened an investigation into the incident, without providing further details.
By Paolo Laudani
Chinese President Xi Jinping called on Middle Eastern nations to oppose external interference and consider reshaping the region's security order during a visit to Egypt on Wednesday, as Beijing seeks to expand its influence amid the U.S. war against Iran.
A bus crash in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula killed 22 people and injured 28 on Wednesday, according to an updated toll from the health ministry, in a country plagued by aging infrastructure and frequent road deaths.
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Egypt Tuesday evening on his first visit in a decade, as the war in the Middle East and US sanctions increasingly threaten Beijing's economic interests.
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