Luis de la Fuente insists Spain has no racism problem ahead of England clash

Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has dismissed suggestions that racism is an issue in the country, insisting that Spaniards are not racist despite a number of recent incidents involving supporters and players.

His comments come just weeks after FIFA sanctioned the Spanish Football Federation following Islamophobic chants from supporters during a friendly against Egypt. Barcelona star Lamine Yamal has also previously spoken about experiencing racism on numerous occasions in Spain.

Speaking ahead of Sunday's UEFA Nations League meeting with England in Madrid, De la Fuente was responding to comments from Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel, who revealed he would remind his players about the anti-racism procedures in place before the game.

“In Spain, there is no racism,” the 65-year-old said.

“You can tell this to Thomas. As clear as that. There is no racism. Exactly the same as in England, in Spain, there is no racism. We’re not racists, none of us.”

Despite De la Fuente's stance, Spanish football has faced repeated scrutiny over racist and discriminatory behaviour in recent years.

As well as the Islamophobic chants directed towards Egypt supporters in March, which resulted in Spain being ordered to play their next home friendly at a reduced capacity, several prominent players have been subjected to abuse.

Yamal has previously spoken about his experiences, while Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr has become a leading voice in the fight against racism after repeatedly being targeted by supporters. The Brazilian has also broken down in tears during press conferences while discussing the abuse.

England have experienced similar incidents in Spain, with Black players including Ashley Cole and Shaun Wright-Phillips subjected to racist abuse during a friendly in Madrid in 2004.

Tuchel had earlier said he did not anticipate any issues during Sunday's encounter but confirmed his squad would be reminded of the protocols.

“I think the referee and the officials know about that (racist chanting).”

The German coach later clarified that his comments were not specifically directed at Spain, accusing reporters of creating “a lot of confusion for absolutely nothing”.

“I never talked about racism in Spain. I answered politely a question about what happens,” he said.

England midfielder Declan Rice also addressed the subject, explaining that the squad were familiar with the procedures should any incidents occur.

“In the past, I’ve experienced that in Montenegro, ‌‌Bulgaria, and there was a protocol in place we followed,” Rice told reporters. “We came off the pitch. We know exactly where we are as a group on that.

“I’m not expecting any of that. This is a beautiful city, great stadium. The players we’re playing against we have a lot of respect for. It’s set up to be a really good evening and hopefully not a negative one.”