Are we witnessing a trend of bizarre victory celebrations that diminish big wins at major soccer tournaments? Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez is taking the heat for singing racist chants against French players of African origin after Argentina’s Copa America win on Sunday. The European champions are no outliers. Spanish defender Marc Cucurella mocked Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland in a song he sang at the victory parade in Madrid. Besides that, the Spanish captain Alvaro Morata and the UEFA’s Euro’s best player Rodri are now under UEFA investigation for a bizarre chant about Gibraltar.

Well, there is a scope to bring a historic or a political reading to Spain-England matches. For example, the Spaniards and their fans could have celebrated their UEFA Euro win as a redemption for the Spanish Armada’s loss to Elizabethan England. But Rodri chose to bring up Gibraltar and is attracting infamy from many sides.

What did Rodri and Morata chant about Gibraltar and what are the consequences?

During Spain’s UEFA Euro victory celebration in Madrid, Alvaro Morata and Rodri were seen chanting about Spain’s sovereignty over Gibraltar. The Spanish duo kept on chanting “Gibraltar is Spanish,” while a mob of Spanish fans repeated after them. Morata jokingly told Rodri that he was playing for an English club-Manchester City. To which the midfielder replied, “I don’t care.” The Spanish duo’s controversial chant is an allusion to Spain’s demands against England to return Gibraltar. Gibraltar is an enclave located at Spain’s southern tip but has been under English control since the 18th century.

Rumors even have it that the UEFA will sideline the duo from the Nations League in September. Meanwhile, politicians in Spain and Gibraltar have also taken up the controversial chant debacle.

Gibraltar government condemns Rodri and Morata, while Spanish politicians back them

“His Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar is disappointed to note that several players of the Spanish male national football team celebrated their ­European Cup win with chants of rancid remarks about Gibraltar,” the Gibraltar government said in a recent statement. Meanwhile, quite a lot of conservative politicians in Spain have rushed to Rodri and Morata’s support.

“The players didn’t say anything that most Spaniards don’t believe,” Madrid’s conservative mayor, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, said in an interview with Telecinco on Tuesday. Besides, Javier Ortega Smith- a member of Spain’s right-wing Vox Party, took to X and shared a video of Rodri and Morata’s chant and nodded in approval.

While it is unsure if the Spanish stars will get a harsh penalty, the Gibraltar FA, a full UEFA member since 2013, won’t be looking forward to anything less for the Spanish players.