FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
A serious incident has accompanied the friendly match between Spain and Egypt, which ended 0-0, where some of the local fans chanted discriminatory chants. The event has prompted immediate reactions from authorities, sports representatives and the players themselves.
According to reports, during the first half of the match held at the Espanyol stadium in Barcelona, a group of Spanish fans chanted:
" Whoever doesn't dance is a Muslim ," a chant considered offensive and religiously based.
The chants were heard at a match against Egypt, a Muslim-majority country, making the incident even more culturally and religiously sensitive.
Spain striker Lamin Jamal, although not a direct target of the calls, expressed his concern about the situation.
" I am a Muslim, alhamdulillah (Praise be to God). Yesterday, the chant 'whoever does not dance is a Muslim' was heard in the stadium. I know it was directed at the opposing team and not a personal attack on me, but as a Muslim I consider this gesture to be disrespectful and intolerable ."
" I understand that not all fans are like this, but to those who sing such chants, I say to you: using religious beliefs as an insult on the pitch makes you ignorant and racist. Football is about having fun and supporting your teams, not showing disrespect to people for who they are or what they believe ."
The Minister of Sports in Catalonia, Berni Alvarez, described the incident as very serious:
" It is normal that he is affected by what happened. We will try to support him if we can contact him. What happened was deplorable. It is an extremely serious matter which we absolutely condemn. It is a massive step backwards. The worst thing is that it was all planned. Those who cheered came to the match to spread hate speech. I suspect that many of those involved had some connection to the world of sport ."
Meanwhile, Spain coach Luis De La Fuente reacted harshly:
" I feel a total and absolute disgust towards any xenophobic or racist behavior. They are intolerable ."
The local Catalan police, Mossos d'Esquadra, have confirmed the launch of an investigation into "Islamophobic and xenophobic chants" during the match. Media sources suggest that FIFA is also expected to analyze match reports and video evidence. Spain could face disciplinary measures, depending on the results of the investigation.
The match ended in a 0-0 draw, but the result was overshadowed by the incident in the stands.
Lamin Jamal, 18, is considered one of Spain's main stars, part of their success at EURO 2024 and a key element for the next World Cup.
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