FIFA sanctions Spanish football federation over discriminatory chants

FIFA has fined the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) $20,000 and mandated a partial stadium closure for the next home friendly match following incidents of Islamophobic chanting during a March game against Egypt. Held at the RCDE Stadium near Barcelona, the match saw supporters chant "Who doesn't jump is a Muslim" twice, prompting stadium officials to issue warnings and display anti-discrimination messages on the scoreboard.

The Spanish player Lamine Yamal publicly condemned the behavior as racist and disrespectful. While the RFEF attempted to argue that the term "Muslim" is not inherently pejorative and should be categorized under less severe disciplinary articles, FIFA upheld the sanctions. The case is now set to escalate, as the RFEF has announced its intention to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

This incident triggered an immediate investigation by Spanish police following the match, which ended in a 0-0 draw. The federation must now restrict at least 15 percent of seating capacity for its upcoming home friendly as part of the disciplinary measures imposed by world football's governing body.