Islamophobic chants mark the return of the Spanish national team to Catalonia

Cornellà de LlobregatJoan Garcia has debuted with the Spanish national team and has been at the stadium that until last June was his home, the RCDE Stadium. The Spanish men's national team has returned to Catalonia four years later in a friendly against Egypt (0-0). One of the great attractions of the match was knowing whether the blue and red goalkeeper would debut with the senior national team. The Sallent-born player was dropped from the squad last Friday in Vila-real, but came on in the 62nd minute in Cornellà-El Prat with more applause than whistles – despite being booed by some fans during the warm-up due to his past with Espanyol–. Luis de la Fuente was also booed after not calling up Joan Garcia when he was with the white and blue team. If he had been called up before signing for Barça, his release clause would have increased by five million more, up to thirty.

With a stadium packed to the rafters, who had been cheering on their team since before the match started, the first acts of disrespect were not long in coming. During the anthems, the Spanish fans booed Egypt's anthem, while they accompanied the Spanish one a cappella. When the 10th minute of the match had not yet arrived, the entire stadium began to chant "Muslims who don't jump", ignoring, for example, that Lamine Yamal – the star player of the Spanish team – is Muslim, and they cheered him when his name was announced by the stadium announcer. A chant that minutes later was heard again on several occasions; the latter, however, were met with boos from the fans against those who were singing it. The Spanish coach has described them as "intolerable".

The "Puigdemont in prison" and "Gibraltar is Spanish" have also made themselves heard in the early stages of play. Nor have Pedro Sánchez, who was insulted, or Javier Tebas, president of the football league, who was called to resign, been spared. If Luis de la Fuente had asked for respect in the preview and for everyone to row in the same direction, the fans present at the stadium have ignored the coach, when it has yet to be decided where the 2030 World Cup final will be played, whether in Spain, Portugal or Morocco. However, it was not until half-time – after a poor first half from Spain in which Marmoush sent a ball to the post for Egypt – that the video screens asked people not to make racist or offensive chants. In the second half, when the chants were heard again, the message was immediately replayed.

No injuries at Barça

Lamine Yamal has been the only player to repeat in the starting eleven after playing on Friday against Serbia in Vila-real. The Rocafonda winger played 45 minutes, the same as Dani Olmo –starter–, Pedri and Fermín –both substitutes–. Joan Garcia –who debuted with the Spanish national team– came on in the 62nd minute, the same moment Ferran Torres –who had several chances to score the first goal of the match– was substituted. Pau Cubarsí did not get any minutes in Cornellà. Good news for Hansi Flick, who recovers all Spanish internationals without injuries. This, moreover, has been the last match before Luis de la Fuente's definitive list, where Joan Garcia and Eric Garcia, among others, are some of the doubts that remain to be resolved.