Catalan Sports Minister Condemns Delayed Response to Racism in Spain vs. Egypt Match
Berni Álvarez, the Minister of Sport in the Catalan government, expressed profound dissatisfaction with the racist chants witnessed at RCD Espanyol Stadium during the international friendly match between Spain and Egypt last Wednesday. Álvarez, who observed the game from the official stand, stated that the incidents were contrary to the spirit of sportsmanship, criticizing the noticeable delay in activating anti-racism protocols by the officials responsible for organizing the match hosted in the region.
The Catalan official called on both the Royal Spanish Football Federation and the Catalan Football Federation to intervene swiftly and implement the legal procedures applicable in such cases. Álvarez revealed that he had threatened to leave the stadium if concrete steps were not taken during halftime, stating, “I informed them of the need to activate the protocols, and if they didn’t, I would have left the venue.” The minister confirmed that measures were indeed initiated later, but he considered them to be too late, as offensive chants targeting attendees had been heard since the first ten minutes of the match.
In the same context, warning messages appeared on the stadium screens reminding fans that Spanish legislation prohibits and penalizes racist or xenophobic acts. Álvarez rejected the justification for the inaction of the refereeing team, led by Georgian Giorgi Kabakov, on the grounds of not understanding the content of the chants, emphasizing that the incident was orchestrated by parties unrelated to sports. The minister stated, “The world of football is unfortunately turning into a place for far-right groups and a means for hate speech, which is something we must stop immediately,” warning against stadiums becoming platforms for spreading discrimination.
This incident occurs as Catalonia seeks to affirm its readiness to host the 2030 World Cup finals at Spotify Camp Nou and RCD Espanyol Stadium. Local authorities aim to combat such practices to ensure the success of the sports bid, noting that the chants were precisely targeted from the opening whistle and were not merely spontaneous actions by the attending fans.
