This week has centered on the discrimination scandal from Tuesday’s international friendly between Spain and Egypt. Lamine Yamal was very critical of the people who sang the controversial chant, and his father also spoke about the issue.
During a live broadcast on TikTok, Mounir Nasraoui said: “I don’t like what happened. Viva Spain. Viva the Muslims, the Catholics, the Jewish, and the entire world equally. What’s the problem? If you respect, you will be respected.”
Mounir sent a message of unity after an incident in which his religion was mocked. Yamal’s father was born in Morocco, while the player was born in Barcelona and follows the Muslim faith.
The context of the incident
During the international window, one match in particular sparked controversy. Spain was supposed to play the Finalissima against Argentina, but instead organized friendlies. Serbia and Egypt were the rivals, with the latter becoming the target of the incident.
The match was played at RCDE Stadium, home of Espanyol. Unlike isolated moments where individual fans insult a player, this was a widespread show of disrespect.
During the match, a discriminatory chant was heard that said, “the one who does not jump is a Muslim.” This sparked anger, especially from Yamal, who left the field without taking part in the usual lap of applause to the fans.
Espanyol’s statement
The episode prompted criticism from many sides. Some pointed to Espanyol fans as responsible for the chant, which led the club to respond in a statement: “RCD Espanyol also wants to express its deep concern over the gratuitous and widespread smear campaign that has been affecting its fans in recent hours.”