By our reporter 1.4.2026
Barcelona and Spain striker Lamine Yamal has urged fans to be respectful and restrain themselves from mocking the faith of others especially at the football venue.
Yamal was reacting to Islamophobic and xenophobic chants during Tuesday’s Spain verus Egypt friendly at the RCDE Stadium the home ground of LaLiga club Espanyol, near Barcelona. The incident drew criticism from players, football officials and the Spanish government.
“I know I was playing for the rival team and it wasn’t something personal against me, but as a Muslim person it doesn’t stop being disrespectful and something intolerable,” Yamal wrote on his Instagram social media platform.
“I understand not all fans are like this, but to those who sing these things, using a religion as a mockery on the field makes you ignorant and racist people.
“Football is to be enjoyed and encouraged, not to disrespect people for who they are or what they believe in.
“With that being said, thank you to the people who came to cheer us on, see you at the World Cup.”
Meanwhile the Spanish police are investigating the incident. Justice Minister Felix Bolanos denounced the chants on social media platform X, reiterating the leftist government’s stance against the rise of the far right, which it associates with growing racism and xenophobia.
“Racist insults and chants shame us as a society. The far right will not leave any space free of its hatred, and those who remain silent today are complicit,” he wrote.