Spain winger Lamine Yamal has slammed the racist chants that marred his country’s 0-0 friendly draw with Egypt at RCDE Stadium in Barcelona on Tuesday.

Police in Spain are investigating “Islamophobic and xenophobic” chants that echoed through the stadium during the first half. Stadium screens displayed warnings against such behaviour at half-time and again early in the second half, prompting whistles from some sections of the crowd.

“I know it was directed at the opposing team and wasn’t personal against me, but as a Muslim, it’s still disrespectful and intolerable,” Yamal, 18, wrote on Instagram.

“I understand that not all fans are like that, but to those who chant these things: using a religion as a taunt on the field makes you ignorant and racist. Football is for enjoying and cheering, not for disrespecting people for who they are or what they believe.”

Yamal, a key figure in Spain’s 2024 European Championship triumph, was making his 26th appearance for the national side.

The Spanish Football Federation also condemned the chants. “The RFEF stands against racism in football and condemns any act of violence inside stadiums,” it stated on social media.

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente described the behaviour as “intolerable” and added, “Violent people use football to carve out a space for themselves. They must be removed from society, identified, and kept as far away as possible.”

Originally scheduled to be played in Qatar, the friendly was moved to Barcelona due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Spain made 10 changes from their 3-0 win over Serbia on Friday, with Yamal the only player retained, while Egypt were without Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah through injury.

The draw also saw Spain drop from the top spot in the FIFA world rankings, a blow for one of the 2030 World Cup co-hosts