Spanish Minister of Education and Sport, Milagros Tolón, described the whistling of the Spanish anthem at the Copa del Rey final as "lamentable" on Tuesday, 21 April 2026, while also condemning racist chants heard at a friendly match in Cornellà. Speaking to reporters after a Council of Ministers meeting, Tolón stated that while freedom of expression must be respected, the incidents "tarnish the image of Spain and sport." She specifically referenced racist insults, including chants of "Jump, jump, jump, Muslim whoever doesn't jump," heard at Espanyol's stadium in Cornellà during a friendly football match between Spain and Egypt. This follows comments made on Monday by Javier Tebas, president of the Spanish football league La Liga, who said he wanted to find ways to prevent fans, historically from Catalonia and the Basque Country, from whistling the anthem. Tebas told journalists he would discuss this with the president of the Spanish Football Federation, adding, "We must put an end to this because it is always part of the narrative of a final." Tebas noted that just five minutes into last Friday's final, social media was already focused on the whistling, which he considered "not good for sport." He also mentioned that Spain had faced an inquiry regarding the match against Egypt, drawing a comparison between racist chants and expressions of nationalist sentiment. ## Minister Compares Incidents During the press conference, journalists asked Minister Tolón if the Spanish government, like Javier Tebas, was considering measures to address this form of expression. The socialist minister did not directly answer this specific question. However, her response combined and therefore compared the whistling of the anthem with the racist chants. The whistling of the Spanish anthem by Real Sociedad supporters occurred during the Copa del Rey final, held at La Cartuja stadium in Seville. Real Sociedad secured their fourth title in history after defeating Atlético de Madrid in a penalty shootout on Saturday. The pre-match ceremony once again featured the recurring scene of fans expressing their rejection of what the Spanish state anthem represents, a common occurrence when Basque or Catalan teams reach this final. The government's stance, particularly the comparison drawn between nationalist expressions and racist abuse, highlights ongoing tensions surrounding freedom of speech at sporting events in Spain. Future discussions between football authorities and government officials are expected to address these issues, though no concrete steps have been announced.