FIFA announced on April 7 that it has fined the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) $20,000 and ordered at least 15 percent of stadium seats to be closed for the national team's next friendly. The decision followed an incident in which fans twice chanted an anti-Muslim slogan during a March friendly against Egypt.
According to FIFA, the incident occurred at RCDE Stadium on the outskirts of Barcelona, the home ground of LaLiga club Espanyol. During the World Cup warm-up match, which ended 0-0, a group of Spanish fans chanted: "Anyone who doesn't jump is a Muslim."
After the second chant, the stadium's public address system issued a warning, and the electronic display board showed a message condemning discriminatory behavior.
Spain winger Lamine Yamal, who is Muslim, condemned the chants shortly afterward, calling them disrespectful and unacceptable, and criticized those involved as "ignorant and racist."
Spanish police opened an investigation the following day, while FIFA subsequently launched disciplinary proceedings against the RFEF.
In its defense, the RFEF argued that the word "Muslim" is neither insulting nor derogatory, and that the fans' conduct should be assessed under Article 17 of the FIFA disciplinary code — which covers political, ideological, religious or offensive messages — rather than Article 15 on discrimination and racial abuse.
However, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee rejected this argument, stating that Article 15 does not require the explicit use of a slur, and that a term can still be discriminatory when used in a context such as "an insult, mockery or a way of marking inferiority."
Under FIFA's decision, the RFEF was fined and required to close at least 15 percent of available seats at Spain's next friendly.
Al Jazeera has contacted the RFEF for comment on the matter.
