Morata & Rodri banned for ‘Gibraltar is Spanish’ chant

Spain captain Alvaro Morata and team-mate Rodri have been banned for one game by Uefa after they chanted “Gibraltar is Spanish” during their side’s Euro 2024 victory celebrations.

Morata and Rodri

The Gibraltar Football Association (GFA) made an official complaint about the celebrations to European football’s governing body before the pair were charged.

Uefa has now suspended Morata and Rodri “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”.

They are banned for Spain’s next game, which is against Serbia on Thursday, 5 September.

Gibraltar is an enclave at Spain’s southern tip that has been under British rule since the 18th century, and Spain has long called for its return.

The chanting took place in front of tens of thousands of Spain fans in Cibeles Square, Madrid on 15 July as players celebrated their 2-1 Euro 2024 final victory over England.

Manchester City midfielder Rodri, 28, could be seen chanting “Gibraltar is Spanish” on the stage, and AC Milan striker Morata, 31, later encouraged the crowd to join in with the same chant.

The Gibraltar FA complained about Spain’s behaviour, saying it had “noted the extremely provocative and insulting nature of the celebrations around the Spanish men’s national team winning Euro 2024”.

“Football has no place for behaviour of this nature,” it added.

Gibraltar has been a full member of Uefa since 2013. – bbc.com