Spanish Footballers’ Association says UEFA disciplinary over Gibraltar chants is ‘intolerable attack on freedom of expression’

UEFA’s decision to open disciplinary proceedings against two Spanish footballers over Gibraltar chants was described as “an intolerable attack on freedom of expression” by the Spanish Footballers’ Association.

The association, AFE by its Spanish acronym, was reacting after UEFA on Tuesday confirmed disciplinary proceedings against two Spanish national players who led chants of “Gibraltar es español” during celebrations in Madrid following Spain’s Euro 2024 win against England.

Rodrigo ‘Rodri’ Hernández Cascante and team captain Álvaro Morata were charged on Tuesday with failing to comply with the general principles of conduct; violating the basic rules of decent conduct; using sporting events for manifestations of a non-sporting nature; and bringing the sport of football “and UEFA in particular” into disrepute.

The matter is now with the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body [CEDB], which will determine whether to uphold the charges and impose sanctions.

The CEDB usually determines the outcome of disciplinary processes within days but has yet to announce its decision in this case.

In a statement on Wednesday, the AFE voiced support for the two players and said it would challenge any UEFA sanctions.

“The events that UEFA is investigating took place outside the professional work environment of the two footballers,” the statement said.

“They were simply celebrating with their fans the success achieved the previous day.”

“This celebration did not take place at the players' workplace.”

AFE claimed UEFA was not authorised to investigate “let alone sanction” the players for expressing themselves “freely away from their work environment and outside of the competition”.

It said any sanction imposed by UEFA would be in breach of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and would be challenged.

UEFA initiated disciplinary proceedings after Manchester City midfielder Rodri, who was voted the player of the tournament, and striker Morata led chants of “Gibraltar es español” at a public celebration in Madrid’s Plaza de Cibeles a day after Spain beat England 2-1 in the Euros 2024 final.

UEFA was reacting to a formal complaint filed by the Gibraltar Football Association, which described the players’ actions as “unprovoked but also extremely provocative and insulting”, adding they had “quite obviously” brought football into disrepute.

In its statement on Wednesday, AFE claimed UEFA had never taken action in the past over similar incidents, adding it was “setting a dangerous precedent”.

As if on cue, UEFA on Wednesday sanctioned a host of countries for their supporters’ racist or discriminatory behaviour during Euro 2024, including in matches against Spain.

The governing body’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body punished the associations of Albania, Hungary, Austria, Slovenia, Serbia, Romania and Croatia.

Croatia were deemed to be the worst offenders for incidents in each of their group games against Spain, Albania and Italy and the Croatian Football Federation has been fined 50,000 euros (£42,000) and their supporters will not be able to attend the next UEFA away game.

The Romanian Football Federation has been fined 40,000 euros (£33,500), while the Albanian Football Association, Hungarian Football Federation, Football Association of Slovenia and Football Association of Serbia must each pay 30,000 euros (£25,000) and the Austrian Football Federation 20,000 euros (£16,800).

Romania and Serbia are also banned from selling tickets to supporters for their next game, but Hungary, Austria, Albania and Slovenia’s ban is suspended for two years.