Lamine Yamal delivers a powerful response after racist chants targeting Egypt
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The young standout shared a message on social media expressing his dismay over the events in Cornellà and reaffirming his Muslim faith
- Jordi Batalla
Journalist
Lamine Yamal has spoken out following a disturbing racist incident during the friendly match between Spain and Egypt, when a large group of fans at RCDE Stadium in Cornellà-El Prat chanted “if you’re not jumping, you’re Muslim.”
The young Spain and FC Barcelona star shared a strong message on his Instagram profile condemning the events and reminding followers that he himself is Muslim.
Yamal’s response has been widely praised by fans, who highlighted the courage shown by the talented forward in taking a clear stand against the abuse.
The Catalan police force, the Mossos d’Esquadra, has already opened an investigation into the Islamophobic and xenophobic chants heard during the match.
Spain’s government also moved quickly to condemn the incident. Ministers Félix Bolaños, Ángel Víctor Torres, and Óscar Puente took to social media to denounce what many have described as an unacceptable episode.
Lamine Yamal's message
“I am Muslim, alhamdulillah.
Yesterday at the stadium, the chant ‘if you’re not jumping, you’re Muslim’ could be heard. I know it was aimed at the opposing team and was not something personal against me, but as a Muslim, it is still disrespectful and unacceptable.
I understand that not all fans are like that, but to those who chant these things: using a religion as a joke in a stadium makes you look ignorant and racist.
Football is meant to be enjoyed and to support your team, not to disrespect people for who they are or what they believe.
That said, thank you to the fans who came to support us. See you at the World Cup.”
The Spanish Football Federation faces potential disciplinary action over the incident.
The key factor will be the referee’s official report, filed by Bulgarian official Georgi Kabakov. The main concern is that the chants were not isolated and were repeated on several occasions.
Under FIFA’s current Disciplinary Code, the initial sanctions could include a partial stadium closure for Spain’s next home match, along with a financial fine.
RCD Espanyol also strongly condemned “the behavior recorded” at RCDE Stadium during the Spain vs Egypt match, while expressing “deep concern over the widespread and unjust damage to the reputation of its supporters in recent hours.”