Thomas Tuchel prepares England for racism protocol before Spain Nations League clash

Thomas Tuchel will remind his England players of the procedures for dealing with racist abuse before Sunday’s Nations League meeting with Spain at Atletico de Madrid’s Metropolitano.

The match carries significance beyond the result, with previous encounters between the two sides marked by incidents of racial discrimination. It will be England’s first visit to Madrid to face Spain since a notorious friendly in November 2004.

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

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, but their subsequent meetings with the hosts took place in other cities, including Seville and Alicante, rather than Madrid.

Tuchel’s decision to brief his squad comes amid renewed concern about racist abuse at matches in Spain. During Spain’s goalless friendly against Egypt in Barcelona on 31 March, a group of Spanish supporters directed anti-Muslim chants at the visitors.

Organisers responded by issuing warnings on the stadium screens and over the public address system.

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

Speaking to French network RMC, Tuchel said England would ensure the players understood what action should be taken if there were any incidents on Sunday, while referring to the events of the team’s previous trip to Madrid.

“Perhaps we should spend five minutes briefing the players on the protocol, if there is a precedent in Madrid. It is important that the players know the protocol,” said the German manager.

Tuchel added that England had already discussed the issue before their match against Serbia in Belgrade in September 2025. He said clear procedures were in place and that the team would be ready to follow them if racist abuse occurred.

The protocol used by UEFA to address racist and discriminatory behaviour consists of three stages.

First, the referee can stop the match and have an announcement made over the stadium’s public address system calling on supporters to end the abuse.

If the behaviour continues, the referee can suspend play for a second time, for between five and 10 minutes, while the players are instructed to leave the pitch temporarily.

Should the racist conduct persist after the game resumes, the referee can take the final step and abandon the match.