Spain–Egypt friendly in Barcelona marred by alleged Islamophobic chanting

An investigation is underway after alleged Islamophobic chanting and xenophobic chanting by a section at the RCDE Stadium of Barcelona during Spain’s goalless friendly with Egypt on Tuesday evening.

Around the 10th minute in the first half a group began chanting “whoever does not jump is Muslim”. Later in the match, spectators jumped in unison to accompany the chant. Parts of the crowd whistled earlier during the Egyptian National Anthem.

The match was played without interruption, despite the inappropriate behavior. A partial anti-racism policy was activated. Inside the stadium, messages were displayed to remind fans that discriminatory behaviour is not allowed.

In coordination with the Prosecutor’s Office for Hate Crimes and Discrimination, Catalonia’s Regional Police, the Mossos d’Esquadra has opened an investigation.

Officers analyze footage and content on social media to identify the responsible parties and determine if the incident is a hate crime. If no criminal charges are filed, there may be administrative sanctions under Spain’s anti-violence and intolerance laws in sports.

The Spanish Football Federation (Federación de Futbol Espaola) condemned the chants. It stated that they “join football’s message to fight racism”. Luis de la Fuente expressed “total and total rejection” of any discriminatory behavior.

Around 37,000 people attended the match. This has sparked international criticism, and concerns have been raised about possible reputational damage before the 2030 World Cup.