FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) following racist incidents during the friendly match between Spain and Egypt in Cornellà. “FIFA has today initiated disciplinary proceedings against the Spanish Football Federation for the incidents that occurred in the friendly match against Egypt,” the governing body confirmed to media outlets, including AS.
During the match against Egypt, racist chants were heard from the stands—specifically, “Muslim if you don’t bounce”—which went viral globally and are now under FIFA investigation.
The RFEF maintains that opening such proceedings in these cases is standard procedure and assures that it will submit a dossier to FIFA in the coming days. The dossier will detail all steps taken during the match, including documentation and reports on operations, security, ticketing, the club’s security coordinator, and conclusions requested by the federation after the game.
According to the RFEF, the report—which will also cover messages broadcast via the stadium’s public address system, video screens, and tweets—will confirm “the federation’s correct conduct” in line with FIFA’s principles and policies against racism and violence in football.
The referee recorded the incidents in the match report, which led to the case being escalated to FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee. Potential sanctions against the RFEF range from a financial fine to being required to display anti-racism messages in future matches. A stadium closure or ban on spectators is not expected.
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FIFA has been particularly stringent on racism. In recent times, Infantino’s organization has consistently pursued related issues and has supported players like Vinicius in his fight against those who have racially abused him in stadiums—for instance, during a Champions League match in Lisbon against Benfica, where the Brazilian player accused Prestianni of insulting him and calling him a “monkey.”