Rabat – Real Madrid Manager Alvaro Arbeloa has declared that Spain is a tolerant country and not racist despite this week’s incident of racist gestures and anti-Muslim chants during a friendly game between the Spanish and Egyptian national teams.
The friendly was Spain’s penultimate home game before the World Cup. After a considerable section of the home crowd ridiculed Muslims, Lamine Yamal left the pitch alone while his teammates completed a lap of honor for the fans.
During the game at Spain’s RCDE Stadium, the fans had repeatedly shouted “Whomever doesn’t jump is Muslim.” ’ The next day, Yamal issued a statement condemning the chants as “intolerable” and racist.
According to AFP, Arbeloa defended Spain while insisting racism attitudes should be eliminated. “I keep thinking we have to eradicate any racist attitudes at stadiums and in society – Spain as a country has to keep fighting to get rid of these attitudes,” he said.
“However, I think we’re a great country, very tolerant, and with these kinds of situations, we shouldn’t generalise.”
Yet Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr has been the target of repeated racist abuse in the Spanish league, with the Brazilian forward enduring five notable incidents of racist abuse in stadiums across Spain.
