UEFA has handed down a one-match ban to Spanish internationals Álvaro Morata and Rodri following their involvement in a controversial chant concerning Gibraltar during the team’s European Championship victory celebrations. This action was taken in response to a complaint filed by the Gibraltar Football Federation.
The incident occurred on July 14 in Madrid, where Morata, the captain of Spain’s Euro 2024-winning squad in Germany, and Rodri led thousands of fans in singing “Gibraltar is Spanish.” The Gibraltar football authorities argued that this chant violated sporting norms and brought the sport, as well as UEFA, into disrepute.
UEFA’s disciplinary body justified the ban by stating that both players failed to comply with the general principles of conduct. They were cited for violating the basic rules of decent conduct, using sporting events for non-sporting manifestations, and bringing the sport of football, and UEFA, into disrepute.
As a result of this ban, both Morata and Rodri will miss Spain’s UEFA Nations League opener against Serbia on September 5. The controversy highlights the ongoing sensitivity surrounding Gibraltar, a British overseas territory located on the southern tip of Spain, which has been under British control for more than 300 years.
