July 24 – Having opened a preliminary investigation, UEFA has now charged Spain captain Álvaro Morata and midfielder Rodri with violating its “basic rules of decent conduct” over chants they made regarding the sovereignty of Gibraltar and which were a direct taunt at England.
Last week the Gibraltar FA filed a formal complaint over Spanish players chanting ‘Gibraltar is Spanish’ during their Euro 24 celebrations in Madrid after beating England 2-1. The chanting is said to have been led by Morata and Rodri and was copied by thousands of fans.
On the southern tip of Spain, Gibraltar has been a British Overseas Territory for over 300 years and is also an independent UEFA member but its status has long been a sensitive political issue, with some in Spain believing Britain’s control is illegal.
The chanting took place during the public presentation of the Euro trophy in Madrid and saw Morata and Rodri encourage the crowd to join in. It provoked outrage in Gibraltar and UEFA said the charges against two players also include “bringing the sport of football, and UEFA in particular, into disrepute.”
The Gibraltar FA welcomed the charges.
“This is an important first step in order to establish the unlawfulness of the chant on the basis of the grounds put forward by the Gibraltar FA in its complaint,” the federation said in a statement.
UEFA said its disciplinary body will rule on the case at a later date, with the players facing a possible suspension from Nations League games in September. The formal charges against Morata and Rodri are listed below.
Charges against Rodrigo Hernández Cascante and Álvaro Morata:
– General principles of conduct, Article 11(1) DR;
– Violating the basic rules of decent conduct, Article 11(2)(b) DR;
– Using sporting events for manifestations of a non-sporting nature, Article 11(2)(c) DR; and
– Bringing the sport of football, and UEFA in particular, into disrepute, Article 11(2)(d) DR.
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