Lamine Yamal has spoken out against Islamophobic chants that marred the Spain-Egypt friendly match, which ended in a 0-0 draw in Barcelona on Tuesday.
On at least three occasions, fans at the RCDE Stadium chanted “He who doesn’t jump is a Muslim.” This prompted match organizers to broadcast calls for respect over loudspeakers and display messages on stadium screens, reminding attendees that “legislation for the prevention of violence in sport prohibits and penalizes active participation in violent, xenophobic, homophobic, or racist acts.”
Lamine Yamal, a prominent player for the Spanish team, was visibly upset as he left the stadium. On Wednesday, he took to Instagram, declaring: “I am Muslim, alhamdulillah.”
He continued in his post: “Yesterday, at the stadium, we heard the chant ‘he who doesn’t jump is a Muslim.’ I understand it was directed at the opposing team and not personally against me, but as a Muslim, it is still disrespectful and intolerable.”
“I understand that not all fans are like this,” Yamal added, “but to those chanting such things: using a religion as a mockery on the field makes you appear ignorant and racist. Football is meant for enjoyment and cheering, not for disrespecting people for who they are or what they believe.”
Concluding his message, Yamal stated: “That said, thank you to everyone who came to support us. See you at the World Cup.”
This regrettable incident dominated headlines in all major Spanish sports newspapers on Wednesday, overshadowing other significant sporting news, including Italy’s surprising elimination from the World Cup that very evening.