In an international friendly match held in Barcelona this Tuesday, Spain and Egypt drew 0-0.

However, the anti-Muslim racist slogans chanted in the stands during the match caused a huge uproar, and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and national team coach Luis de la Fuente strongly condemned them.

During the first half of the match, discriminatory slogans targeting the Muslim community were heard. In response to this egregious act, the event organizers acted swiftly during halftime, displaying a warning message against xenophobic remarks on the stadium's large screen, and the stadium announcer also read out a related appeal.

When the warning was reiterated early in the second half, it even drew boos from some areas of the stands. Following the incident, the Spanish Football Federation quickly released an official statement on social media, demonstrating its firm zero-tolerance stance: "The Spanish Football Federation firmly opposes any form of racism in football and strongly condemns all acts of violence that occur in stadiums."

De la Fuente also harshly criticized the fans who caused the incident after the match. He stated that such behavior was intolerable and said, "There are always some violent individuals who try to use football to find a sense of existence. We must remove these bad apples from society, find out their true identities, and keep them as far away from the football field as possible."

This 0-0 draw not only filled the stadium with off-field controversy, but also cost Spain, one of the co-hosts of the 2030 World Cup, dearly stripping them of their FIFA world number one ranking. Faced with the ensuing public pressure and declining performance, Spanish football needs to make effective adjustments both on and off the field.

Image source: Internet