Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has dismissed concerns over racism in Spanish football, insisting that the country is not racist ahead of Sunday’s UEFA Nations League encounter with England in Madrid.
De la Fuente made the remarks after being asked about England manager Thomas Tuchel’s decision to remind his players of UEFA’s anti-racism protocol before the Group A3 fixture.
England’s visit to Madrid will be their first since the controversial 2004 encounter at the Santiago Bernabeu, which was overshadowed by racist chants directed at their players.
As reported by BBC Sport on Saturday, responding to whether Tuchel’s comments suggested that more needed to be done to tackle racism in Spain, De la Fuente said: “What I’d tell you, and you can tell Thomas, is that in Spain, there’s no racism.
“Just like that, crystal clear. Just like in England, there’s no racism in Spain. We aren’t racist, any of us.”
However, his comments come amid previous incidents of racism in Spanish football, including the abuse directed at Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior.
Last month, the Spanish Football Federation was fined and ordered to partially close a stadium after supporters directed Islamophobic and xenophobic chants towards Muslims during an international friendly against Egypt in Barcelona.
In 2024, three Valencia supporters were also sentenced to eight months in prison for racially abusing Vinicius during a La Liga match.
Tuchel had earlier explained that he would remind his players about UEFA’s three-step anti-racism protocol, which allows referees to stop matches, temporarily remove players from the pitch and abandon games if discriminatory behaviour continues.
“Maybe we take our five minutes to inform the players about the protocol if there is a precedent [in Madrid]. And then, yeah, we will give our answers if stuff like this happens. Best answers are on the pitch,” the England manager said.
However, Tuchel later clarified that he did not expect any racist incidents during the encounter.
“I never talk about racism in Spain. I answered politely a question about what happens, I never expect racism,” he explained.
“But my trust is that we have a friendly atmosphere, that we have an atmosphere who is clearly in favour of the Spanish team, and that football does what it does best: brings people together and not divide people.”
England midfielder Declan Rice also condemned racism in football, insisting that the problem should have no place in the modern game.
“In the past, I’ve experienced that in Montenegro and Bulgaria and there was a protocol in place that we followed – we came off the pitch. We know exactly where we are as a group on that,” Rice said.
“The times we are in now, 2026, there should never be racism in football. It’s shocking we still have it in the game today.
“I don’t want to think about if one of our players or their players is racially abused because that would be a horrible mark on football.”
Meanwhile, De la Fuente believes Spain and England are among the leading sides in world football but warned that neither team could simply adopt the other’s playing philosophy.
“I prefer the Spanish model. It’s very recognisable, the players are perfectly adapted,” he said.
“The English model is very good, but you have to have that type of player. Neither England can play like Spain, nor Spain like England.”
The Spanish coach also praised his team’s recent achievements, including their Euro 2024 triumph over England, while acknowledging the growing pressure on his side.
“It’s our best moment in a long time,” he added. “They are all much more aggressive to beat us now than in other times.”
De la Fuente also expressed his surprise at the relatively low transfer fees commanded by Spanish players compared with their English counterparts.
“Spanish footballers surprise me that, compared to what is paid in England, they are very cheap. I see them as better, in my opinion. Everyone in their market can set the prices,” he said.
On the fitness of Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal, the Spain manager remained cautious about whether the forward would start, although he confirmed that the teenager would be fit enough to feature if selected.
“We will see if he is a starter, but if he comes out, it’s because he’s fit to play,” De la Fuente said.
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