Spanish Football Federation Condemns Anti-Muslim Chants
Spain will face Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay in the group stages of the World Cup.
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has condemned anti-Muslim chants that were heard during the first half of Spain's 0-0 draw with Egypt in Barcelona on Tuesday.
At half-time, a message warning fans against xenophobic remarks and singing was displayed on the screen at the RCDE Stadium, with the stadium announcer also reading out a similar request.
The message was repeated early in the second half, which led to whistles from some sections of the crowd.
The RFEF posted on social media:
"The RFEF stands against racism in football and condemns any act of violence inside stadiums."
Spain Coach Condemns Behaviour
The behaviour was also condemned by Spain coach Luis de la Fuente.
"It's intolerable," he said. "Violent people use football to carve out a space for themselves.
They must be removed from society, identified, and kept as far away as possible."
Match Details and Context
Tuesday's game was originally scheduled to be played in Qatar but was moved to the home of La Liga side Espanyol due to the war in the Middle East.
De la Fuente made 10 changes from Friday's 3-0 friendly win over Serbia, with Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal the only player to keep his place. Egypt played without injured Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah.
The 0-0 result also caused Spain, one of the co-hosts of the next World Cup in 2030, to lose their top position in the world rankings.
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