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Last night, during Spain’s friendly match with Egypt, racist and antimuslim chants erupted in Barcelona.
During the first half of the match, chants including “if you do not jump, you are a Muslim” erupted, especially as Egypt’s National Anthem was played.
Spain’s Luis de la Fuente, the head coach of Spain, condemned this behavior. He called it “intolerable”, and said it had no place in society or football.
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As tensions grew in the stadium, officials were worried that the match could be called off.
De la Fuente supported the decision to display antiracism messages before and during second half.
He described the perpetrators as “disgraceful” and added that such behavior must be eliminated completely.
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Both sets of fans had created a final atmosphere in the stadium, complete with flags and chants.
The reaction to Egypt’s anthem was swiftly criticized and quickly overshadowed football on the field.
As organizers displayed anti-racism message to the crowd, officials discussed the situation.
The Egyptian players were able to maintain their composure despite the hostile atmosphere.
Spain failed to defeat a resolute Egyptian side. The game ended at 0-0.
In this match, goalkeeper Joan Garcia made her debut. Her appearance was met with mixed reactions by fans.
Arab and Muslim football fans have demanded stricter actions, and urged the Spanish Football Federation to enforce respect in future matches.
READ MORE: Spain Football Manager and Madrid Mayor reject claims made by Real star Vinicius about country being racist
The police of Catalonia have launched an investigation into the Islamophobic chants and xenophobic chants heard at the RCDE Stadium, during the friendly match between Spain and Egypt.
Spain is now preparing to play Cape Verde in its World Cup warm ups. They will also face Saudi Arabia, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia. But the fallout of the chanting should continue.
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