World football’s governing body, FIFA, has punished Spain with a $20,000 fine and a partial stadium closure for its next friendly. The sanctions follow chants by some Spanish supporters during a March match against Egypt, FIFA said in a statement.
The incidents took place at the RCDE Stadium near Barcelona, home of LaLiga club Espanyol. Some fans sang “Who doesn’t jump is a Muslim” during the World Cup warm-up game, which finished goalless.
Stadium warnings and player condemnation
After the chant was repeated a second time, the stadium announcer issued a warning, and the scoreboard displayed a message opposing discriminatory behaviour. Spain winger Lamine Yamal, who is Muslim, called the chants disrespectful and intolerable and described those responsible as “ignorant and racist”.
Disciplinary case and FIFA’s ruling on Article 15
Spanish police opened an investigation the following day, while FIFA later began disciplinary proceedings against the Spanish football federation (RFEF). The federation argued that the word “Muslim” was “neither insulting nor pejorative” and that the conduct should fall under Article 17, which covers political, ideological, religious or offensive messages, rather than Article 15, which deals with discrimination and racist abuse.
FIFA’s disciplinary committee rejected that position. It said Article 15 does not require an explicit slur, and that a term can be discriminatory in context when used as “an insult, taunt, or marker of inferiority”. The RFEF was fined and ordered to close at least 15% of available seats for Spain’s next friendly. The federation was approached for comment.
