De la Fuente says there is no racism in Spain after Tuchel's protocol remarks

Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has said there is no racism in Spain. He was responding to comments by England head coach Thomas Tuchel before the teams' Uefa Nations League match in Madrid on Sunday.

On Friday, Tuchel said England might take five minutes to inform players about Uefa's anti-racism protocol, citing a precedent in Madrid. He also indicated he did not expect any incidents. The BBC quoted him as saying: "Best answers are on the pitch."

The match will be England's first against Spain in Madrid since a 2004 game at the Santiago Bernabéu, in which England players were subjected to racist abuse.

De la Fuente was asked whether Tuchel's remarks showed Spain still had work to do on racism. According to the Guardian, he first asked who had made the remarks. The BBC and the Guardian give differing English translations of his answer. The BBC quoted him as saying: "What I'd tell you, and you can tell Thomas, is that in Spain, there's no racism." The Guardian quoted him as saying: "Tell Thomas there is no racism. As clear as that."

Spain's football federation was fined over discriminatory chants about Muslims during a Spain match against Egypt in Barcelona. According to the BBC, the federation was also ordered to partially close a stadium. The BBC describes the chants as Islamophobic and xenophobic and says the sanction came last month. The Guardian refers to the Egypt game as taking place "in March".

According to the BBC, Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr has frequently been targeted by racist chanting. In 2024, three Valencia fans were sentenced to eight months in prison for abusing him at a match, the BBC reports.

On Saturday, Tuchel said he had never talked about racism in Spain. He said he had answered a hypothetical question by saying a protocol is in place if something happens.

According to the BBC, the Uefa protocol has three steps. Referees can stop a match, take players off the pitch temporarily and ultimately abandon the game if discriminatory behaviour continues.

The BBC reports that the match will decide which team finishes top of Nations League A Group 3. The Guardian reports it will be played at the Metropolitano stadium, and that England have played in Spain three times since 2004 without incident.

What each side says

• De la Fuente says there is no racism in Spain, just as in England, and that none of the Spanish side are racist.
• Tuchel says he only answered a hypothetical question and expects a friendly atmosphere. The Guardian quoted him as saying: "You create a lot of confusion for absolutely nothing."
• Declan Rice, England midfielder, said he has experienced racism in Montenegro and Bulgaria, where England followed the protocol and left the pitch, according to the BBC.

The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not include any response from Uefa, the Spanish Football Federation or the Football Association. They do not state whether Tuchel briefed his players on the protocol.

Analysis

The exchange shows how a remark about procedure can be read as a judgement on a country. Tuchel says he described a standard protocol. De la Fuente's answer was framed as a rejection of any suggestion of racism in Spain. Both readings rest partly on translation, and the two outlets give differing English versions of De la Fuente's words. Recent sanctions and court cases mentioned in the reports form part of the backdrop. Whether the debate affects the atmosphere on Sunday is uncertain. Any response from Uefa or the national federations could shape how the episode is viewed afterwards.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.