Sissoko Condemns Religious Chants Directed at Yamal During Spain vs Egypt Match

Mohamed Sissoko, a former midfielder for renowned clubs such as Liverpool and Juventus, as well as a former player for the Mali national team, has sharply condemned the shameful religious chants that erupted during the friendly match between Spain and Egypt. The match, which concluded in a stalemate of 0-0, took place at the home stadium of Espanyol, the Cornellà-El Prat in Barcelona.

During the game, chants were heard from the stands proclaiming, "Whoever doesn't jump is a Muslim," which sparked outrage not only among fans but also among professionals monitoring the development of football in Spain. Sissoko did not hold back, labeling the situation as disgraceful for Spanish football and emphasizing that such actions tarnish the country's image.

"What happened is bad for the whole world and, of course, for the image of Spain. This cannot happen. I watched the match live and am now re-watching the highlights. I lived in Spain, and Spaniards are generally not like this. When we see such footage, this is not Spain. At least not the Spain I knew, because unfortunately, such people exist," Sissoko stated.

He also expressed that if he were in the shoes of young talent Lamine Yamal, he would seriously consider whether he should continue playing for the Spanish national team. "It pains me that a player like Lamine had to experience this. The image that Spain has shown is not the Spain I know. It is a shame. Lamine did not deserve what happened. He chose to play for Spain, even though he could have chosen Morocco. But he chose Spain, and now Spain has one of the best players of modern times. Yet he had to endure this in the match. It is neither fair nor logical. It was pathetic. If I were Lamine, I would honestly think about whether it is worth returning to play for Spain," Sissoko added.

Sissoko also emphasized the importance of responding to such situations. He believes that the match should have been halted following the offensive chants. "The match should have been stopped. We need to do something to put an end to this, because we are already in 2026, and people cannot behave like this. As a society, we are regressing. When I played in Spain in 2004, nothing like this happened. As a footballer, over time, you get used to it. I was insulted at many stadiums, although usually, it was just a few idiots, not the entire stadium chanting in unison. But we need to fight this at the root, so incidents like the one in the Spain vs Egypt match must be condemned," Sissoko concluded.

It is worth noting that earlier, Lamine Yamal made history in the Champions League by breaking Kylian Mbappé's record, further highlighting his talent and potential in world football.