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Real Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa said Friday (April 3, 2026) that Spain was a tolerant state and not racist, contempt Islamophobic chanting during a nationalist squad lucifer this week.
Sections of the assemblage astatine Spain's affable against Egypt connected Tuesday (April 7, 2026) sang "whoever doesn't leap is Muslim" during the crippled astatine Espanyol's RCDE Stadium successful Cornella.
Spain and Barcelona guardant Lamine Yamal, who is Muslim, criticised those chanting arsenic "ignorant and racist". Arbeloa defended Spain portion insisting racist attitudes should beryllium eliminated.
"I deliberation Spain is not a racist country, if it was we would person a occupation each play astatine each of the stadiums," Arbeloa told reporters. "I support reasoning we person to eradicate immoderate racist cognition astatine stadiums, and successful society... Spain arsenic a state has to support warring to get escaped of these attitudes.
"(However) I deliberation we're a large country, precise tolerant, and with these benignant of situations we shouldn't generalise." Real Madrid striker Vinicius Junior has been racially abused astatine respective stadiums crossed the state successful high-profile incidents successful caller years.
In January 2023, Atletico Madrid fans hung an effigy of Vinicius from a span adjacent Real Madrid's grooming ground.
Four months aboriginal Vinicius squared disconnected with fans abusing him astatine Valencia's Mestalla stadium, successful an incidental which gained him worldwide enactment successful his conflict against racism.
In 2025 5 Real Valladolid fans, who racially abused Vinicius successful a 2022 match, were recovered blameworthy by a tribunal of committing a hatred transgression -- the archetypal specified ruling successful Spain regarding insults astatine a shot stadium.
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick praised teen Yamal for making a "great statement" by condemning those liable for the abuse. "We basal for inclusion it's frustrating that a tiny fig of idiots don't recognize this," added Flick.
"We each privation to beryllium respected, it doesn't substance astir your colour, your religion, your region, it's clip to alteration these thoughts." Atletico manager Diego Simeone said the occupation was related to a deficiency of respect successful the world. "It's a societal problem, connected a satellite level, not astir Spain oregon Argentina oregon Brazil oregon anywhere," said the coach.
"Respect that was mislaid galore years ago, respect for parents, schoolhouse teachers, police, nine directors, coaches, presidents contiguous it's been mislaid and we don't person it."
Catalonia's determination constabulary unit said they were investigating the chants and Spanish premier curate Pedro Sanchez said the incidental was "unacceptable". "We cannot let an uncivil number to tarnish the world of Spain, a divers and tolerant country," helium added.
