Summary of this article
Spain’s friendly against Egypt was marred by anti‑Muslim chants from sections of the home crowd
Mohamed Sissoko called the incident “shameful” and said it damaged Spain’s image globally
He expressed sympathy for Lamine Yamal, saying the teenager should reconsider his international future with Spain
Former Valencia midfielder Mohamed Sissoko condemned the anti-Muslim chants made by the home supporters during Spain’s match against Egypt on Tuesday, calling the incident “shameful”. The France-born Mali international expressed sympathy for Spanish star Lamine Yamal, urging the teenager to rethink his international future with La Roja.
During the fixture against Egypt, which served as a warm-up game for the FIFA World Cup 2026, sections of the home crowd chanted “Musulmán el que no bote”, which translates to “Whoever doesn’t jump is a Muslim”.
Sissoko: ‘Not the Spain I Knew’
In an interview with Diario AS, Sissoko condemned the Islamophobic chants, saying that it hurts Spain’s image in front of the world.
“What happened is not good for the world, and certainly not good for Spain’s image either. This cannot be true,” he said. “I experienced it first-hand whilst watching the match, and I am watching it again now in the replay.”
“I have lived in Spain, and Spaniards are generally not like that. When we see those images, this is not the Spain we know,” he added. “Or rather, it is not the Spain I knew, because unfortunately, these people do exist. I felt anger as a Muslim and sadness for Lamine Yamal.”
‘Yamal Should Think Twice’, Says Sissoko
Sissoko added that Yamal did not deserve this kind of treatment from the home fans, especially given his decision to represent Spain over Morocco. Yamal, who is a practising Muslim, released a lengthy statement on Wednesday, calling the chants “ignorant and racist”.
“It pains me that a player like Lamine has to go through all this…” Sissoko said. “Lamine did not deserve what he went through. He chose to play for Spain. He could have chosen to play for Morocco, but he chose Spain, and Spain now has one of the best players in the world.”
Sissoko went further, suggesting the 17-year-old should reconsider his international future, saying, “If I were in Lamine’s shoes, I’d think twice before playing for Spain again, to be honest.”
Sissoko, who played for La Liga sides such as Valencia and Levante, also criticised the handling of the situation, insisting the match should not have continued.
“The match should have been stopped. Something must be done to put a stop to this, because it’s 2026, and people cannot behave like this. Society has deteriorated. When I was in Spain in 2004, I didn’t witness anything like this.”
