FIFA opens case against RFEF over racist chants at Spain v Egypt in Cornellà | OneFootball

FIFA announced on Tuesday the opening of disciplinary proceedings against the RFEF over racist and Islamophobic chanting during Spain’s friendly with Egypt at RCDE Stadium, Cornellà-El Prat, last Tuesday.

Chants of "musulmán el que no bote" were heard up to three times and will now be examined by FIFA’s disciplinary bodies.

The move was expected after referee Georgi Kabakov recorded the incidents in his report. The Bulgarian did not activate the in-game protocol but later documented what occurred at Espanyol’s ground.

FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee will assess a possible breach of article 15 of its code. The likely outcome is at least a fine, with recent cases bringing 5,000 to 20,000 Swiss francs, broadly similar in euros.

FIFA has also ordered preventative plans or partial stadium closures in some cases. If imposed, Spain would play a future home match with a section shut. The next home game is in June, before the World Cup, with Riazor in A Coruña a probable venue.

As a mitigating factor, the anti-racism protocol was triggered of the RFEF’s own accord at half-time, with PA and screens carrying messages after the chant was twice heard, then repeated following a third incident.

The chanting was condemned by Luis de la Fuente and Lamine Yamal, who called it disrespectful and intolerable and said mocking a religion shows ignorance and racism. The Spanish and Catalan governments also condemned it. The Mossos d’Esquadra opened an investigation and the Spanish government urged the public prosecutor to consider a possible hate crime.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo