Spain’s football federation will take its case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The move follows FIFA’s rejection of its appeal against sanctions over Islamophobic chants during a friendly against Egypt in March.
FIFA fined the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) $20,000. It also ordered Spain to close at least 15 per cent of available seats for its next home friendly.
The incident occurred at RCDE Stadium near Barcelona. Some supporters chanted, “If you don’t jump, you’re a Muslim”, during the World Cup warm-up match, which ended in a goalless draw.
After the chant occurred for a second time, the stadium announcer issued a warning. The scoreboard also displayed a message against discriminatory behaviour.
Spain winger Lamine Yamal, who is Muslim, condemned the chants. He described them as disrespectful and intolerable and called those responsible “ignorant and racist”.
Spanish police launched an investigation the following day. FIFA later opened disciplinary proceedings against the RFEF.
The federation argued that the word ‘Muslim’ was “neither insulting nor pejorative”. It said FIFA should assess the incident under Article 17, which covers political, ideological, religious or offensive messages. Instead, FIFA applied Article 15, which addresses discrimination and racist abuse.
However, FIFA’s disciplinary committee rejected the argument. It said discrimination does not require an explicit slur. A term can also become “an insult, taunt, or marker of inferiority” depending on its context.
RFEF challenges FIFA sanctions
A FIFA spokesperson told Reuters that the appeal was dismissed last week. The RFEF will now challenge the decision at CAS.
“Throughout the proceedings, the RFEF has maintained that it acted immediately, diligently and effectively from the moment it became aware of the incidents,” a high-ranking federation official told Reuters.
The official said the measures prevented the chants from recurring. The RFEF also considers the sanctions particularly severe. It argues that similar stadium restrictions have not always followed more serious cases or repeat offences.
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