Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Fabian Ricardo has angrily slapped down Manchester City defender Rodri and other Spanish internationals for leading a controversial chant claiming sovereignty of the Rock in the wake of their country’s victory over England on Sunday night.
However, Mr Picardo also took the opportunity to point out that the song, which he said had “fascist” roots, would make no difference when it came to Gibraltar’s status as a British overseas territory.
During the clip, shot in Madrid’s Plaza de Cibeles, where the team returned to celebrate their 2-1 victory in Sunday’s Euro 2024 final in Berlin, Alvaro Morata and Rodri can be seen singing “Gibraltar es español” [“Gibraltar is Spanish”] in front of a massive crowd.
When Morata tells Rodri he plays for an English side, the latter replies: “I don’t care.”
Reacting, a Gibraltar Government spokesman described the song as “rancid” – and Mr Picardo was equally forthright.
He told Times Radio: “Nothing is going to change as a result of a football match, or something a footballer in his 20s says, whether it holding the European Cup or not.
“But it goes to the root of things that we find offensive. We’re a separate UEFA nation.”
The chant was nothing new, Mr Picardo pointed out.
He explained: “This comes from the days of General Franco that used to egg people on to make this sort of chant.
“And to see young people take it over unthinkingly, without realising what it is that they are adopting.
“And to then to see in public, enjoying themselves, one of the sisters of the King of Spain and the mayor of Madrid chanting along is really quite soul-destroying, frankly.”
Mr Picardo emphasised: “Nothing is ever going to change. Our culture is going to stay British.
“This is just utter nonsense, but it’s deeply offensive, deeply discriminatory, and not the sort of thing that we should see surrounding the magnificent sport of football, and such an excellent win on the pitch for Spain.”
Asked about whether such incidents could potentially be used to fuel Spain’s claim on the Rock, which has been in British hands since 1713, Mr Picardo said: “As we come closer to August each year, the Gibraltar issue comes up.
“And the audio the serious politics disappears from the front pages of newspapers and the latest nonsense relating to Gibraltar might make it on the front page playing to the usual prejudices.
“And Spanish political parties in particular, of the right, use Gibraltar as the drum with which to bang up support.
“That is a concern and that’s why we’ve got to call it out every time it happens.”
Speaking about the incident, Madrid’s conservative mayor, Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida, insisted: “The players didn’t say anything that most Spaniards don’t believe.”
Javier Ortega-Smith, a senior member of the far-right Vox party, retweeted a video of the chant, commenting: “Sí.”