Racism, xenophobia and intolerance in Spanish football: evolution and responses from the government and the civil society

Abstract

Contrary to what is sometimes supposed, racism is not a phenomenon of the past. In fact, it is one of the major challenges of the present and future in Europe and Spain. Besides providing an incomparable sense of belonging, football stadiums are also an excellent platform to express racist and xenophobic attitudes and behaviours. In Spain, for years, many players have suffered abuse and insults although black and ethnic minority players are those who receive the most harassment. Thus, the problem of racism has increased recently in Spanish football, as shown by the emission of monkey noises toward black players and the use of racist slogans and symbols in the stadiums. This study analyses the forms of racism and xenophobia in Spanish football, as well as the actions promoted and carried out by various institutions and agents to prevent and reduce these types of behaviour. The article is divided into four major parts. The first one reviews some concepts of the scientific study of racism and xenophobia, placing them in the context of Spanish football. The second section includes an overview of the emergence and evolution of racism and xenophobia in Spanish football. The third part describes the situation in Spain, providing some empirical data about its incidence in recent years. The fourth and final section presents an analysis of different antiracist initiatives carried out recently in Spain from a left-wing perspective with the aim of combating racism in football.