Weeks after FIFA punished Spain over Islamophobic chants by their supporters and their star Lamine Yamal admitted having repeatedly experienced racism in the country, the Spanish team’s head coach, Luis de la Fuente, has claimed the country does not have a racism problem.
asserted
country → punish → problem
De la Fuente appeared to quash any concerns about racism as he addressed the media on Saturday before his team’s UEFA Nations League match against England.
asserted
he → appear → England
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army → refuse → Gaza
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“In Spain, there is no racism,” the 65-year-old said in response to a question about his England counterpart Thomas Tuchel, who revealed he would speak to his players about the antiracism protocol in place before Sunday’s match in Madrid.
asserted
he → be → Madrid
“You can tell this to Thomas.
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You → tell → Thomas
We’re not racists, none of us.
asserted
We → ’re → us
While a capacity crowd is expected for the top-of-the-table Group C clash at the Metropolitano Stadium, the world champions will have to play their next home friendly with a reduced capacity as a punishment for Spanish supporters singing an Islamophobic chant during a fixture against Egypt in March.
asserted
supporters → expect → March
Several high-profile players have been targeted by racist abuse in recent years, including Yamal and Real Madrid’s Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr, who has been moved to tears in news conferences while talking about the issue.
asserted
who → target → issue
England players faced racist abuse during a game in the Spanish capital in a 2004 friendly in which Black England players, including Ashley Cole and Shaun Wright-Phillips, were targeted.
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players → face → Cole
Tuchel said he did not expect racist abuse on Sunday but his players would be reminded of antiracism protocols.
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players → say → protocols
“I think the referee and the officials know about that [racist chanting].”
asserted
referee → think → that
He later clarified his comments as not being specifically about Spain and criticised reporters for creating “a lot of confusion for absolutely nothing”.
asserted
He → clarify → nothing
“I never talked about racism in Spain.
asserted
I → talk → Spain
I answered politely a question about what happens,” he said.
asserted
he → answer → question
England midfielder Declan Rice said the squad knew exactly how to respond if racism occurred.
asserted
racism → say → ?
“In the past, I’ve experienced that in Montenegro, Bulgaria, and there was a protocol in place we followed
asserted
we → experience → place
,” Rice told reporters.
asserted
Rice → tell → reporters
“We came off the pitch.
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We → come → pitch
We know exactly where we are as a group on that.
asserted
we → know → that
“I’m not expecting any of that.
asserted
I → expect → that
The players we’re playing against we have a lot of respect for.
asserted
we → play → respect
It’s set up to be a really good evening and hopefully not a negative one.”
asserted
It → set → ?
Yamal has faced racism ‘a thousand times’
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Yamal → face → racism
In September, Barcelona and Spain star Yamal said he had experienced racism “a thousand times” with many people unaware that their comments or behaviour is racist.
asserted
comments → say → racism
Asked by former Argentina international Jorge Valdano in an interview with Spanish broadcaster Movistar whether he had directly experienced racism, Lamine said: “A thousand times.”
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Lamine → ask → racism
“People are indirectly racist towards you but maybe don’t realise it.
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People → realise → it
There are a lot of comments or looks that are racist, and they don’t even notice.
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they → be → comments
“If someone calls me Black, it’s not going to bother me at all.
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it → call → me
Ultimately I’m Black.
asserted
I → ’m → ?
I’m not any other colour.
asserted
I → ’m → ?
Another thing is whether it’s good or bad, whether they’re saying it to offend me.
asserted
they → ’ → me
“But if I’m playing a match.
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I → play → match
and they paid for a ticket to see me, I’m not going to get angry just because they disrespected me.”
asserted
they → pay → me
Yamal criticised the anti-Muslim chants by fans in what should have been a friendly match against Egypt.
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what → criticise → Egypt
A section of supporters had chanted: “Whoever doesn’t jump is Muslim.”
asserted
jump → chant → supporters
Egypt’s national anthem also received a barrage of whistles before the friendly.
asserted
anthem → receive → friendly
Yamal, a Muslim whose father moved from Morocco to Spain, issued a damning statement on Instagram in the wake of the row.
asserted
father → move → row
Yesterday at the stadium the chant ‘the one who doesn’t jump is the Muslim’ was heard,” he posted.
asserted
he → jump → stadium
“I know I was playing for the rival team and it wasn’t something personal against me but as a Muslim person it doesn’t stop being disrespectful and something intolerable.”
asserted
it → know → person
…and 15 more, not listed.
The Aporia
