"FIFA" penalizes Spain over anti-Islam chants during Egypt match
Amman2 min read
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The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) said on Friday it has fined Spain $20,000 and ordered a partial stadium closure for its next friendly match after its fans chanted anti-Islam slogans twice during a game against Egypt in March.
According to a statement issued by FIFA, the sanctions relate to incidents that took place at the RCDE Stadium near Barcelona, the home ground of La Liga club Espanyol, after some Spain supporters chanted "whoever doesn't jump is a Muslim" during a World Cup warmup match that ended in a goalless draw between the two teams.
After the chant was repeated for a second time, the stadium's PA announcer issued a warning and the scoreboard displayed a message condemning the discriminatory behavior.
Spain winger Lamine Yamal, who is a Muslim, condemned the chants at the time, saying they were disrespectful and intolerable, and described those responsible as "ignorant and racist".
Spanish police launched an investigation the following day, while FIFA later opened disciplinary proceedings against the Spanish Football Federation.
The Spanish federation argued that "the word Muslim is not insulting nor does it demean anyone", adding that the fans' behavior should be evaluated under Article 17 of FIFA 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 phrase, and that any term can be discriminatory when used in the context of "an insult, mockery, or a sign of inferiority".
FIFA fined the Spanish Football Federation and ordered it to close at least 15% of available seats for the national team's next friendly match.
