The Spanish players’ victory song for the Euro 2024 prompts the Gibraltar Football Association to consider a complaint to UEFA

GIBRALTAR – The Gibraltar Football Association said on Tuesday that it was seeking legal advice regarding the “extremely provocative and offensive” chants by Spanish players at a welcome party for the European champions.

In Madrid on Monday evening, Spain’s captain Alvaro Morata and his best player Rodri sang “Gibraltar is Spanish” to thousands of fans in celebration of the Spanish national team’s 2-1 victory over England in the final of the 2024 European Championship in Berlin on Sunday.

Gibraltar, on the southern tip of Spain, has been a British overseas territory for over 300 years and has a population of around 35,000. Spain has maintained its claim to sovereignty.

Gibraltar has been an independent member of the European football association UEFA since 2013 and of FIFA for three years. However, due to diplomatic problems, the country’s teams are separated from their Spanish opponents in the draw for the competitions.

“There is no place for this kind of behaviour in football,” the Gibraltar Football Association said in a statement on Tuesday, referring to the “extremely provocative and offensive nature of the celebrations surrounding the Spanish men’s national team’s victory at the 2024 European Championships”.

The association said it was seeking legal advice to lodge a formal complaint with UEFA over “unacceptable chants and songs”.

UEFA has clear jurisdiction over political statements and chants in the stadiums of matches it organises; however, the Spanish players sang in a public square in Madrid.

Footage of Monday’s incident showed Morata, who previously played for Chelsea in England, reminding long-time Manchester City star Rodri that he still plays in this country. Rodri reportedly replied: “I don’t care.”

UEFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.