Manchester City midfielder Rodri was spotted on stage chanting “Gibraltar is Spanish” as AC Milan striker Morata cheered on the crowd
The captain of the Spanish national team, Alvaro Morataand his teammate, Rodriwere suspended for one game by UEFA after singing the song “Gibraltar is Spanish” during the celebrations for the conquest of Euro 2024. The suspension came after a formal complaint was lodged by the Gibraltar Football Association (GFA), which found the players’ behaviour provocative and insulting.
UEFA justified the suspension of Morata and Rodri by citing that both “failed to comply with general principles of conduct, violated basic rules of decent conduct, used sporting events for demonstrations of a non-sporting nature and brought football and UEFA into disrepute”.
Both players will not be able to take part in Spain’s next match, scheduled for Thursday, September 5, against Serbia.
The incident occurred on July 15, in Plaza de Cibeles, in Madridwhere tens of thousands of Spanish fans gathered to celebrate the 2-1 victory over England in the Euro 2024 final. Rodri, midfielder of Manchester Citywas caught on stage chanting “Gibraltar is Spanish”, while the striker of AC MilanMorata, encouraged the crowd to join the chorus.
Gibraltar, an enclave located on the southern tip of Spain, has been under British rule since the 18th century, and its sovereignty has long been a source of dispute between the United Kingdom and Spain.
The Gibraltar Football Association expressed its dissatisfaction, stating that the behaviour of the Spanish players was “extremely provocative and insulting”. The entity also emphasized that “football has no room for behavior of this nature”. Gibraltar has been a full member of UEFA since 2013.
Source: sportbuzz
I am William Jackson and I have a passion for sports journalism. With over 3 years of experience in the industry, I have worked in a variety of roles to improve the quality and accuracy of sports news coverage. As an author at Athletistic, I specialize in covering football news and providing comprehensive analysis for fans around the world.
