Manchester City midfielder Rodri and Spain team-mate Alvaro Morata have been handed one-match bans for chanting about Gibraltar during a Euro 2024 victory event.
Rodri, who was chosen as player of the tournament, took the microphone during a celebration event in Madrid on July 15 and sang “Gibraltar es Espanol” – Gibraltar is Spanish – leading to a complaint from the Gibraltar Football Association.
Rodri came off at half-time with the score goalless against England in the final on July 14, but his team triumphed 2-1 without him.
The Gibraltar FA described Rodri and Morata’s actions as “deeply offensive”, with governing body UEFA subsequently appointing an ethics and disciplinary inspector to evaluate what had happened at the event.
Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory, but is the subject of a territorial claim by Spain.
Rodri and Morata were later charged under Article 11 of UEFA’s disciplinary code.
The Gibraltar FA welcomes UEFA’s decision to ban Rodrigo Hernández Cascante (Rodri) and Álvaro Moratahttps://t.co/kDDorLQIyn
— Gibraltar FA (@GibraltarFA) August 7, 2024
In a statement confirming the sanctions, UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body said the players must serve one-match bans for “failing to comply with the general principles of conduct, for violating the basic rules of decent conduct, for using sporting events for manifestations of a non-sporting nature and for bringing the sport of football, and UEFA in particular, into disrepute”.
Spain’s next match is the opening fixture of the Nations League away to Serbia on September 5.
The Gibraltar FA said it was “pleased” UEFA had “acknowledged the severity of this incident” and acted accordingly.
“This decision sends a clear message that football must remain a platform for promoting peace, understanding, and fair play, free from divisive and offensive actions such as the chants,” the Gibraltar FA added.
