Title celebration in Madrid

Spaniards escalate: Musiala mockery and Rodri scandal!

Captain Alvaro Morata turns to Dani Carvajal (left) and taunts Jamal Musiala.

(Bild: AFP/APA/OSCAR DEL POZO)

The Spanish national soccer team's European Championship title celebrations in Madrid left a bitter taste in the mouth. Captain Alvaro Morata and Dani Carvajal mocked Jamal Musiala and the DFB team, while Rodri also caused a real scandal. The Man City star could even face a fine.

On Monday evening, Madrid turned into a party mile as hundreds of thousands of fans awaited the arrival of their European Championship heroes. After an official reception with King Felipe VI, coach Luis de la Fuente's team made their way by bus to the Plaza de Cibeles in the center of the city. There, the team finally presented the European Championship trophy and celebrated exuberantly with the fans.

Over the course of the title party, the individual players repeatedly had their say. Captain Alvaro Morata introduced his team-mates individually. When he finally came to Real defender Carvajal with the microphone, he began to mock the DFB team and their youngster Jamal Musiala. "Well, Pitbull, where's Musiala? Where is he?" he asked in the direction of the defender. The latter was visibly amused. 

Carvajal was Musiala's opponent in the European Championship quarter-finals. What was left out of the celebrations: The Real defender often only knew how to help himself against the Bayern player with fouls and was even sent off with a yellow-red card. "The best right-back in the world, Dani Carvajal," was Morata's response in Madrid. But the Musiala taunt was followed shortly afterwards by a real scandal.

"Gibraltar is Spanish"
Man City player Rodri, who was voted the best player of the European Championship, grabbed the microphone. "Gibraltar is Spanish", the 28-year-old shouted into the cheering crowd. A more than explosive statement. After all, the peninsula on the south coast of Spain has been British territory since the 18th century. This is still a thorn in the side of nationalist circles in Spain. The majority of the inhabitants of the peninsula have repeatedly spoken out against a Spanish takeover.

Morata tried to react to the statement and pointed out to his team-mate that this was problematic and that he himself played in England, Rodri responded defiantly: "I don't care." Statements that could well lead to repercussions. UEFA could well react with a ban, as they did after Merih Demiral's controversial wolf salute. And it remains to be seen how England will react to the provocations.