Lamine Yamal angered by 'ignorant and racist' chants at Spain-Egypt friendly

Lamine Yamal has criticised "racist and ignorant" chants heard during Spain's friendly against Egypt that have led to a police investigation.

The anti-Muslim chants at the RCDE Stadium, on the outskirts of Barcelona, prompted officials to display an anti-discrimination message on a screen to people inside the ground.

The messages reminded supporters that taking part in acts of racism and xenophobia was a crime, but the chants continued.

Lamine Yamal, who started for Spain, called the chants "ignorant and racist".

On Instagram, the player wrote: "I know it was directed at the opposing team and wasn't personal against me, but as a Muslim, it's still disrespectful and intolerable."

The 18-year-old Barcelona star said he understood "not all fans are like that", but in a message to those who chant "these things" he added: "Using a religion as a taunt on the field makes you ignorant and racist.

"Football is for enjoying and cheering, not for disrespecting people for who they are or what they believe."

Spain's manager Luis de la Fuente strongly condemned the behaviour of some fans.

He said: "They are not representative of football. They take advantage of football, as they do in other areas of life.

"We need to isolate these people from society.

"I feel total and absolute repulsion towards any xenophobic or racist attitudes. They are intolerable."

The Egyptian FA said in a statement: "We firmly reject and condemn such behavior, including the lack of respect shown toward the national anthem. These actions are entirely unacceptable in football stadiums and represent a negative phenomenon that must be collectively addressed and eradicated."

It added: "What happened is completely unacceptable, and FIFA remains committed to combating racism and discrimination in football."

The chants during Tuesday's 0-0 draw at the home ground of La Liga club Espanyol highlighted increasing concerns about racism in Spanish football.

In a strongly-worded social media post, Spanish justice minister Felix Bolanos blamed the far right.

He wrote: "Racist insults and chants shame us as a society.

"The far right will not leave any space free of its hatred, and those who remain silent today are complicit."

The Spanish Football Federation said it "stands against racism in football and condemns any act of violence inside stadiums".

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Catalonia's regional police force said it had opened an investigation into the incident.

(c) Sky News 2026: Lamine Yamal angered by 'ignorant and racist' chants at Spain-Egypt friendly