The Spanish Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, has expressed his strong condemnation of what he described as “inappropriate behaviour” displayed by some fans during the friendly match between Spain and Egypt in Barcelona, which ended in a goalless draw.
The match was marred by regrettable incidents after a group of fans chanted hostile slogans against Muslims, sparking widespread outrage within sporting and political circles and prompting Spanish star Lamine Yamal to publicly condemn such behaviour.
In an official statement issued by the Egyptian Cabinet, the Spanish minister held a telephone conversation with his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdel Aty, during which he affirmed his country’s categorical rejection of any offensive or racist behaviour, stressing that what had happened “does not represent the Spanish people nor does it reflect the distinguished historical relations between the two countries”.
Albares added that the Spanish government would take strict legal action against those involved in these acts, stressing that his country “will not tolerate any form of hatred or discrimination”.
The Espanyol stadium management had intervened during the match to warn the crowd against repeating the hostile chants, but some fans responded to the warning with jeers, which escalated the situation and sparked widespread outrage in Spanish sporting circles.
