Tuchel reminds England of Madrid’s troubled past before Spain Nations League meeting

Thomas Tuchel will brief his England players on the procedures for dealing with racist abuse before Sunday’s Nations League match against Spain at the Metropolitano.

The fixture carries added significance because of the history of discrimination during previous meetings between the two sides. It will be England’s first trip to Madrid to face Spain since a controversial friendly in November 2004.

That match, played at Santiago Bernabeu, saw Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Jermaine Jenas and Jermain Defoe among the England players subjected to racist insults and chants by sections of the home support.

The incident led to a fine for the Spanish Football Federation and had a lasting effect on relations between the two national teams.

England have played in Spain since then, including matches in Seville and Alicante, but have not returned to Madrid for a game against Spain. Sunday’s fixture will take place at the home of Atletico Madrid.

Tuchel’s decision to prepare his squad comes amid renewed concerns over discrimination at matches in Spain. A friendly between Spain and Egypt in Barcelona on 31 March ended goalless after a section of Spanish supporters directed anti-Muslim chants at the visitors.

Organisers responded by showing warnings on the stadium screens and broadcasting messages over the public address system.

FIFA subsequently fined the Spanish Football Federation. It also ordered 15% of the stands at the venue for Spain’s next friendly to be closed, or for those seats to be allocated to community groups and organisations working to combat discrimination.

Speaking to French network RMC, Tuchel said he would make sure his players understood what action to take if there were any incidents during Sunday’s match.

“Maybe we should spend five minutes informing the players about the protocol, if there is a precedent in Madrid. It is important that the players know the protocol,” said the Germany coach.

Tuchel added that England had addressed the issue before their meeting with Serbia in Belgrade in September 2025. He said there were clear measures for dealing with racist incidents and that the team would be prepared to follow them if necessary.

Under the system used by UEFA, the response is divided into three stages.

The first requires the referee to stop the match and ask supporters to end the abuse through the stadium’s public address system.

If the behaviour continues, the referee stops the game for a second time, for between five and 10 minutes, and instructs the players to leave the pitch temporarily.

Should the racist conduct persist after play resumes, the referee has the authority to abandon the match.