KUALA LUMPUR – An international football friendly match in Barcelona descended into controversy yesterday as a section of the crowd jeered Egypt’s national anthem with Islamophobic and xenophobic chants, prompting a police investigation.
The 0-0 draw between Spain and Egypt at RCDE Stadium, initially relocated from Qatar due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, was overshadowed by offensive behaviour that drew widespread condemnation.
Authorities repeatedly appealed to fans over the public address system to refrain from making discriminatory remarks.
Catalonia’s regional police force, the Mossos d’Esquadra, confirmed on X that they are investigating the incident.
“We are looking into yesterday’s Islamophobic and xenophobic chants at RCDE Stadium during the Spain-Egypt friendly,” the statement read.
Spain’s justice minister, Félix Bolaños, described the chants as “racist insults that embarrass us as a society.”
“The far right will not leave any space free from their hatred, and those who remain silent today will be complicit. We continue working for a country that is tolerant and respectful of everyone,” he wrote on X.
Meanwhile, Spain’s head coach, Luis de la Fuente, condemned the behaviour in strong terms, calling it “intolerable”.
The 64-year-old stressed that violent individuals exploit football to carve out space for themselves and urged that they be removed from society and identified immediately.
Rafael Louzán, president of the Spanish Football Federation, described the incident as “specific and isolated,” emphasising that the federation has condemned the behaviour and warned it must not be repeated.
The match, attended by 35,000 spectators, highlights ongoing challenges in Spanish football, where racially abusive behaviour, particularly towards players such as Real Madrid’s Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior, has persisted in recent years. – April 1, 2026