UEFA has initiated disciplinary action against Spanish footballers Rodri and Alvaro Morata following their contentious ‘Gibraltar is Spanish’ chants during the European Championship trophy celebrations in Madrid.
This incident, which has stirred significant controversy, has prompted the Gibraltar Football Association (GFA) to lodge a formal complaint, leading to an investigation by UEFA’s ethics and disciplinary inspector.
When was Gibraltor recognized as a full UEFA member?
Gibraltar was recognized as a full UEFA member in May 2013.
Complaint From the Gibraltar Football Association
The GFA’s complaint stemmed from what they termed “extremely provocative and insulting” behavior by the Spanish national team players. The contentious celebrations took place during Spain’s victory parade in Madrid on July 15, at the iconic Cibeles fountain. The GFA expressed their approval of UEFA’s prompt decision to investigate the matter.
UEFA’s Disciplinary Proceedings
In response to the complaint, UEFA confirmed that disciplinary proceedings had been opened against Rodri and Morata. The charges against the players include breaches of general principles of conduct, basic rules of decent behavior, misuse of sporting events for political statements, and actions that could potentially tarnish the reputation of the sport and UEFA. UEFA’s statement highlighted that their Control, Ethics, and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) will make a decision on the case in due course.
The Controversial Chants
The controversy began when Spain’s captain, Alvaro Morata, initiated the chant, “It’s Spanish, Gibraltar is Spanish,” during the celebrations. This chant, referring to the peninsula located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, which is a British territory, quickly spread on social media.
Spain and Manchester City midfielder Rodri, who was named the tournament’s best player, joined in with the chant. In the footage, Morata can be heard telling Rodri, “Man, you play in England,” highlighting the irony of the situation.
Historical Context of Gibraltar
Gibraltar has a complex and contentious history. The peninsula became a British territory in 1713 following its capture by Anglo-Dutch forces during the War of the Spanish Succession. In a 1967 referendum, Gibraltar’s population overwhelmingly rejected Spanish sovereignty. Again, in 2002, they voted against shared sovereignty between Spain and the United Kingdom. Despite these clear rejections, Spain continues to claim sovereignty over the peninsula, with its government asserting, “Spain does not recognize the occupation of the isthmus or the fence as a border.”
Gibraltar’s UEFA Membership and Relations with Spain
Gibraltar was recognized as a full UEFA member in May 2013. Subsequently, UEFA decided to keep Gibraltar and Spain apart in qualification groups for major tournaments to avoid potential conflicts. This decision underscores the sensitivities and historical tensions between the two nations.
Gibraltar Football Association’s Formal Letter to UEFA
The Gibraltar Football Association addressed a formal letter to UEFA, outlining the seriousness of the incident. The letter reads:
“We write in respect of a matter of the utmost seriousness. As you will be aware, the final of the UEFA European Football Championships (“UEFA Euro 2024”) was recently played in the Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany. The match, which was played between Spain and England on 14 July 2024, and won by Spain (2-1), was the highlight and pinnacle of a hugely successful competition, which, although competitively fought, has shown European football at its best to millions of spectators around the world.
Against that backdrop, it is a matter of deep regret that we write to make a formal complaint in respect of the conduct of certain players on the Spanish team in the wake of their victory in the Euros 2024 final, which has been brought to the Gibraltar FA’s attention, namely, that, on Monday 15 July 2024, during celebrations in the Plaza de Cibeles in Madrid, at least two members of the Spanish team began a chant of “Gibraltar es español” (“Gibraltar is Spanish”).
The chant was led by two players: Rodrigo Hernández Cascante (or Rodri, as he is professionally known) and Álvaro Morata. Both are experienced footballers, with lengthy club and international careers. The former, who plays as a midfielder for Manchester City in England, was named Player of the Tournament for the Euros 2024. The latter is presently the captain of the Spanish team, who, paradoxically wore the UEFA armband bearing the word RESPECT throughout the tournament.
The chants were made on the main stage in the Plaza de Cibeles, in front of a massive crowd of thousands of spectators, including children, who had come to celebrate with the team in the Spanish capital. They began after Rodri grabbed a microphone, and began the chant, encouraging the crowd and other players (including Morata) to join in. As the video of the incident accompanying this letter records, when Morata reminded Rodri that he played domestic football for an English side, the latter replied: “I don’t care”. The video has been widely circulated by the global media, including in Gibraltar, where it has been met with anger, dismay, and disappointment.
In that respect, the conduct in question is deeply offensive to Gibraltarians, who have repeatedly exercised their democratic rights to remain a British Overseas Territory. While Gibraltar has a border with Spain, and values its close cooperative relationship with Spain and the Spanish people, it is and remains a British Overseas Territory. The conduct is also deeply offensive to the Gibraltar FA since it implies we should not exist as an independent national member association of UEFA.
In such circumstances, the conduct of the players was not only offensive, but also highly
inflammatory. During a period of what should have been celebrations, the players have –
unnecessarily and entirely gratuitously – brought politics into sport, seemingly for no reason other than to cause offence to the people of Gibraltar.
The Gibraltar FA has also, since then, received emails and phone calls of a harassing nature
repeating the chant. The incitement has also been felt by Gibraltarians enjoying a summer fair
across the border in the Spanish town of La Linea where they have been harassed, intimidated
and aggressed to a chorus of the same chants some having to flee back to the safety of the
border controls.”
Reactions and Implications
The actions of Rodri and Morata have sparked widespread reactions, both within the football community and beyond. The incident has highlighted the ongoing political tensions surrounding Gibraltar and the potential repercussions of using sporting platforms for political statements. UEFA’s disciplinary proceedings will be closely watched, as their outcome could set a precedent for how similar incidents are handled in the future.
The ‘Gibraltar is Spanish’ chants by Rodri and Alvaro Morata during the European Championship celebrations have brought the intersection of sports and politics to the forefront. UEFA’s decision to charge the players underscores the importance of maintaining the integrity of sporting events and the need to avoid using them for political manifestations. As the investigation proceeds, the football community awaits the outcome, which will have significant implications for the players involved and the broader context of sportsmanship and political expression in football.
