All posts tagged: Spain

Spain punished by FIFA for Islamophobic chants during Egypt friendly | Football

Spain punished by FIFA for Islamophobic chants during Egypt friendly | Football

Spain sanctioned by FIFA after incidents at Espanyol’s stadium in Barcelona, which staged the friendly with Egypt. Published On 16 Oct 202616 Oct 2026 Spain have ‌‌‌‌been fined $20,000 and ordered to partially close their stadium ⁠⁠⁠⁠for their ⁠⁠⁠⁠next friendly after supporters twice chanted Islamophobic slogans during the game against Egypt in March, FIFA said ⁠⁠⁠⁠in a statement. The sanctions relate to incidents at the RCDE Stadium near Barcelona, home of LaLiga club Espanyol, ⁠⁠⁠⁠where some Spain fans chanted, “Who doesn’t jump is a Muslim” during a World Cup warm-up match which ended in a 0-0 draw. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list After the second occurrence of the chant, the stadium announcer ‌‌‌‌issued a warning and the scoreboard displayed a message against discriminatory behaviour. Spain winger Lamine Yamal, who is Muslim, condemned the chants at the time, describing them as disrespectful and intolerable and calling those responsible “ignorant and racist”. Spanish police launched an investigation the following day, while world governing ⁠⁠⁠⁠body FIFA later started disciplinary proceedings against ⁠⁠⁠⁠the Spanish football federation …

Pressured at Home, EU Leaders Weigh China Trade Steps

Pressured at Home, EU Leaders Weigh China Trade Steps

BRUSSELS, Oct 14 (Reuters) – European leaders gather in Brussels on Thursday to weigh up the future ⁠of trading ⁠ties with China, whose surging exports of cars and other ⁠manufactured goods are threatening to harm local industry and cause mass layoffs across Europe. Other topics for the two-day meeting range from Ukraine – including ​US President Donald Trump’s diesel deal with Russia – to the Middle East, defence, migration, the EU’s long-term budget and moves to enlarge the 27-country bloc. For some, the summit may mark a welcome break from domestic troubles. French ‌President Emmanuel Macron is facing student protests and sharp bond ‌losses over a budget deadlock, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is struggling to get his coalition on track after regional vote defeats, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez trails in polls before an election. Across Europe, mainstream politicians ⁠are under pressure from ⁠far-right and nationalist parties buoyed by a sense among many voters that the economy is not generating enough wealth to ​fund the levels of public services they expect. Twin challenges of …

Queen Letizia of Spain reacts after she’s left hanging with awkward handshake ‘snub’ on National Day

Queen Letizia of Spain reacts after she’s left hanging with awkward handshake ‘snub’ on National Day

Queen Letizia was left in a briefly awkward moment with her hand outstretched after her handshake was ignored at a Palace reception on Monday.  The Spanish Queen, 54, joined her husband, King Felipe, and daughters Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia to greet ambassadors, including Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, at the Royal Palace in Madrid during National Day.  The four royals welcomed ambassadors and representatives from Ceuta and Melilla – where the Spanish royals are undertaking an official visit this week – individually by shaking their hands in turn.  However, one ambassador did not shake hands with Letizia, Leonor, or Sofia, leaving the Queen briefly confused, with her hand still outstretched.  © Europa Press via Getty ImagesThe Spanish royals greeted guests with handshakes The man, believed to be Reza Zabib, the Iranian ambassador in Spain, clasped his hands and bowed his head to each royal as he passed by instead.  Why did the ambassador not shake hands with Queen Letizia? Though some fans commented on social media that the handshake refusal demonstrated a “lack of respect”, …

Spanish royals visit crisis-hit Ceuta amid diplomatic tensions

Spanish royals visit crisis-hit Ceuta amid diplomatic tensions

Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia visited Ceuta for the first time since 2007, amid tensions with Morocco following July’s migration crisis, when more than 70,000 people crossed into the Spanish enclave. Most returned to Morocco, but thousands remained, and dozens died. Morocco claims sovereignty over Ceuta, making the royal visit diplomatically sensitive. FRANCE 24’s Sarah Morris has more from Madrid. Keywords for this article Source link

Netflix Takes World Cup Broadcasting Rights in Spain

Netflix Takes World Cup Broadcasting Rights in Spain

Netflix has made a major play in the live sports business in Europe, acquiring all rights in Spain and Andorra to the 2030 soccer World Cup from soccer world governing body FIFA. The deal, unveiled Tuesday, will give Netflix exclusive rights in the territories to all 104 matches of the tournament. The streamer is planing to go all in, with full live coverage of the matches and pre-game, halftime and post-game shows, as well as daily round-up show on match days. Netflix said it is also planning extensive pre-tournament programming to build excitement ahead of the event. All the matches won’t be behind the Netflix pay wall. As part of the agreement, Netflix will make one match per day available for free in Spain and will sublicense a package of matches, including every Spain match, both semi-finals and the final, to a national free-to-air broadcaster. Spain, the current World Cup champion, will also host the 2030 tournament, alongside Morocco and Portugal. 2030 will mark the 100th anniversary of the event, with celebration matches also being …

Skydance, Spain Movistar Plus Expand Deal, Launch Local Series Label

Skydance, Spain Movistar Plus Expand Deal, Launch Local Series Label

The newly mega-merged Skydance and Spain’s Movistar Plus unveiled an expansion of their strategic alliance on Tuesday through “a new two-year global agreement that further consolidates one of the most significant partnerships in the Spanish audiovisual industry.” A key pillar of the pact is that Movistar Plus will continue to feature HBO Max as part of its streaming platform. Also covered under the new deal are “select Skydance TV channels, major theatrical releases from Warner Bros. Pictures, and new content agreements.” Financial terms weren’t disclosed. The main new development in the expanded collaboration is “a first-of-its-kind initiative in the Spanish market, under which the two companies will launch a selection of local series under the joint Movistar Plus and HBO Original label.” The first two titles to carry the joint originals label are Veredicto and a series that’s untitled so far.Veredicto, Movistar Plus and HBO Original series produced in collaboration with Ikiru Films and Luminol Media, was created by Eduard Sola, Pol Cortecans and Daniel González from an original idea by Carles Porta. It will …

Spain: Sánchez and Feijóo launch campaigns

Spain: Sánchez and Feijóo launch campaigns

Although Spain’s general election is set to take place on November 29, the battle has already begun.Over the weekend, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and his main conservative challenger, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, kicked off their pre-election rallies, targeting each other’s key vulnerabilities. Keywords for this article Source link

Barcelona beat Getafe as Gordon scores his first goal | Football

Barcelona beat Getafe as Gordon scores his first goal | Football

Barcelona make it six wins from six with a 3-0 win against Getafe as Anthony Gordon scores his first goal for club. Published On 10 Oct 202610 Oct 2026 Anthony Gordon scored his first goal for Barcelona as the Spanish champions extended their perfect start in La Liga with a 3-0 win over Getafe on Saturday. England international Gordon opened the scoring in the second minute, and Gabriel Jesus added another after half an hour for the league leaders, who have won every match they have played this season. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list French defender Jules Kounde tucked home the third from Lamine Yamal’s cross to cap Barca’s solid win against Jose Bordalas’s side at Camp Nou. Barca moved five points clear of second-placed Atletico Madrid, who won 2-1 at Alaves earlier, and lead Real Madrid, fourth, by nine points before Los Blancos host Villarreal later on. Barca were without their top scorer Raphinha, who sustained a hamstring problem during the international break with Brazil. Flick replaced him with former Arsenal …

Spanish Lawyer Gonzalez Durantez Launches Centrist Party for November Election

Spanish Lawyer Gonzalez Durantez Launches Centrist Party for November Election

MADRID, Oct 10 (Reuters) – Lawyer Miriam Gonzalez Durantez launched a ⁠new ⁠Spanish political party on Saturday ⁠to run in an early general election on November 29, promising ​to rise above a growing ideological divide, recover democratic values and depoliticise institutions. Gonzalez Durantez, who is ‌married to former British Deputy Prime ‌Minister Nick Clegg and specialises in international and EU trade law, said the party, called ⁠Democracy21, will ⁠run in the election in Madrid and Barcelona. The party enters a ​volatile political landscape after Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called the snap election on Monday following parliament’s rejection of measures to address a mounting housing crisis. Opinion polls point to the conservative People’s Party (PP) ​and far-right Vox likely winning a combined parliamentary majority.  Referring to the left-right political divide ⁠in ⁠Spain exemplified by the deep ⁠rivalry between ​the Socialists and the PP, she criticised “two rigid blocs with nothing to foster consensus”.  Gonzalez Durantez called ​on Spaniards to “set aside ⁠our ideological differences, to stand united, and to work together to safeguard democracy and modernise the country.” The …