Rodri and Álvaro Morata were each banned from one Spain match by UEFA for chanting “Gibraltar is Spanish” during the celebrations in Madrid following the victory over England in the final of the 2024 European Championship.

Rodri, who plays for Manchester City, and Morata, a striker for Milan, chanted “Gibraltar es Español” on stage in front of a huge crowd in the Plaza de Cibeles in the Spanish capital. The Gibraltar Football Association described this as “extremely provocative and offensive” and complained to UEFA, which brought charges against the players.

UEFA said its control, ethics and disciplinary body had banned them “for failure to comply with the general principles of conduct, for breaching the basic rules of decent behaviour, for using sporting events for demonstrations of a non-sporting nature and for bringing football and UEFA in particular into disrepute”.

Spain’s next game is away against Serbia in the Nations League next month. Gibraltar, which lies on the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, has been in British hands since 1713. “This decision sends a clear message: football must remain a platform for promoting peace, understanding and fair play, free from divisive and offensive actions such as the chants,” the Gibraltar Football Association said.