Spain teenager Lamine Yamal has hit out at his own side’s fans on the back of alleged Islamophobic chanting during his side’s game against Egypt.
Yamal and Co drew 0-0 with the African nation in a friendly on Tuesday night, with the 18-year-old starting the game but finding it hard to break down the away side’s defence.
The game, though, was overshadowed by apparent scenes from the home fans, which prompted officials at the RCDE Stadium to display an anti-discrimination message on a screen inside the ground.
The most prominent religion in Egypt is Islam, and fans were reminded that acts of racism and xenophobia are a crime, but it did little to impact what was going on in the stands.
Now, Yamal has hit back. He posted on Instagram on Wednesday: ‘I am a Muslim. Yesterday at the stadium the chant ‘the one who doesn’t jump is a Muslim’ was heard.
‘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.
Lamine Yamal has hit out at Spain fans for alleged Islamophobic chanting during his side’s game against Egypt
A message was displayed inside the stadium to remind fans that the chanting is a crime
‘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.’
Spain manager Luis de la Fuente, meanwhile, said after the game: ‘They are not representative of football. They take advantage of football, as they do in other areas of life. We need to isolate these people from society.
‘I feel total and absolute repulsion towards any xenophobic or racist attitudes. They are intolerable.’
The Egyptian FA said in a statement: ‘We firmly reject and condemn such behavior, including the lack of respect shown toward the national anthem. These actions are entirely unacceptable in football stadiums and represent a negative phenomenon that must be collectively addressed and eradicated.’
It added: ‘What happened is completely unacceptable, and FIFA remains committed to combating racism and discrimination in football.’
Racism in Spanish football has been a growing issue, with Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr shining light on the issue after being abused a number of times over the years.
The Spanish Football Federation’s statement read: ‘The RFEF stands against racism in football and condemns any act of violence inside stadiums.’
FIFA are awaiting reports from officials at the game before deciding whether to take further action.
