FIFA Sanctions Spain for Anti-Islamic Chants During Egypt Match - Sarmad

FIFA said in a statement on Friday that it had fined Spain $20,000 and ordered it to partially close its stadium for its next friendly match, after fans chanted anti-Islamic slogans twice during a match against Egypt in March.

The sanctions relate to incidents that took place at the RCDE Stadium near Barcelona, the home ground of Espanyol, a La Liga club, after some Spanish supporters chanted “If you don’t jump, you’re Muslim” during a World Cup qualifier that ended in a goalless draw.

After the chant was repeated a second time, the stadium’s public address announcer issued a warning, and the scoreboard displayed a message condemning the discriminatory behavior.

Spain’s winger Lamine Yamal, who is Muslim, condemned the chants at the time, calling them disrespectful and intolerable, and describing those responsible as “ignorant and racist.”

Spanish police opened an investigation the following day, and FIFA subsequently initiated disciplinary proceedings against the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).

The RFEF argued that “the word Muslim is not insulting or derogatory,” adding that the fans’ behavior should be assessed under Article 17 of FIFA’s regulations, which covers political, ideological, religious, or offensive messages, rather than Article 15, which addresses discrimination and racist abuse.

However, FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee rejected this argument, stating that Article 15 does not require the explicit use of an offensive term, and that any term can be discriminatory when used in a context of “insult, mockery, or a sign of inferiority.”

FIFA imposed a fine on the RFEF and ordered it to close at least 15 percent of the available seats for the national team’s next friendly match.