During Spain’s Euro 2024-winning celebrations on Monday night, midfielder Rodri Hernandez caused controversy with a chant exclaiming that “Gibraltar is Spanish”. Many in Spain believe that the tiny island nation should be under Spanish jurisdiction, but for now, it belongs to the United Kingdom.
Rodri’s chants did not go down well at the offices of the Gibraltar Football Federation, who have confirmed in an official statement that they will be reporting the incident to UEFA, as reported by Diario AS.
“The Gibraltar Football Federation will file an official complaint with UEFA following the celebrations of the Spanish men’s football team at Euro 2024.
“The Gibraltar Football Association has pointed to the extremely provocative and insulting nature of the celebrations surrounding the Spanish men’s national team’s victory at Euro 2024.
“The Association has received advice this morning on the filing of a complaint with European football’s governing body, UEFA, in relation to unacceptable chants and songs, relating to Gibraltar, sung by the players of Spain’s senior men’s team after winning Euro 2024.
“In football there is no room for behaviour of this nature.”
The governor of Gibraltar also condemned the incident.
“The Government of Gibraltar is disappointed after observing that several players of the Spanish men’s football team celebrated their victory in the European Championship with chants with stale comments about Gibraltar.
“It is a totally unnecessary mix of great sporting success with discriminatory political statements that are hugely offensive to Gibraltarians.
“The regrettable use of the platform of the celebration around the victory of the European Championship to promote the idea of usurping the territory of Gibraltar is contrary to the principle that sport should not be used to promote any politically controversial ideology.”
It remains to be seen whether any sanctions come the way of the Spanish Football Federation, or Rodri himself.
