The Spanish Football Federation sent members of its security team to the area where racist chants emerged, aiming to halt the shouts and restore order.
As the chants began, Federation officials contacted Espanyol’s security director, since the fan group “Barcelona con la Selección” is largely composed of supporters from that Catalan club. They knew who the key individuals were and which people could serve as valid interlocutors.
An “intervention group” was immediately deployed to the area to act as mediators and stop the shouting. Simultaneously, the Federation displayed a message on the video scoreboard and reinforced it through the public address system.
The Federation’s liaison with the fans contacted the ringleaders, while also strengthening security measures. Gradually, tensions eased, and by the second half, the chants had almost completely disappeared. The insults were not only racist—including the well-known “Muslim, don’t bounce” and “Catholic Spain, not Muslim”—but also targeted Pedro Sánchez and Joan García.
During halftime, the referee was informed of everything that had happened and personally decided not to activate the anti-racism protocol. However, the Federation did issue warnings via both the public address system and the video scoreboards.
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A total of 1,828 tickets were distributed to the aforementioned fan group, matching the area where the chants originated.
The problem arises when the reaction is collective rather than individual, as has occurred in other stadiums. This complicates identification and makes potential sanctions more difficult.