Man City’s Rodri sings ‘Gibraltar is Spanish’ throughout Euro celebrations

Manchester City’s Rodri led Spain‘s Euro 2024 celebrations last night with chants of ‘Gibraltar is Spanish’ to applause from supporters on an emotional night in Madrid. 

The Spanish midfielder, 28, spearheaded the rallying cry in Madrid last night, getting swept up in a controversial trend which became popular on social media ahead of the clash with England.

The status of the territory has long been a sensitive political issue, with some in Spain believing Britain’s control is illegal. Tensions have soared since Brexit, with the post-referendum status of Gibraltar still held up in talks.

‘You play in England, mate,’ teammate and captain Alvaro Morata joked, stepping in as the crowd waved flags and continued singing. 

Rodri, who was named Player of the Tournament for his efforts with Spain this year, replied plainly: ‘I don’t care.’

It was an emotional night for Spain supporters, who flew back from Berlin on Monday to join their fans in the Cibeles Square after a hard-won campaign.

The Spanish King, Felipe VI, was on hand in the capital to greet all the players and staff, before posing for a group photo with the squad.

Thousands of supporters then followed the bus through Madrid’s city centre as the players showed off the Henri Delaunay Trophy, chanting into the night.

Morata led the celebrations on stage, asking players questions, dancing, and even serenading the crowd with a chant of his own.

Rodri – who has been tipped for the next Ballon d’Or – was also at the heart of some iconic dancing that saw Spain’s entire squad bounce in time with the huge swathes of nearby fans.

The video of his Gibraltar chant was shared widely online as Spain celebrated its victory, but many were quick to fault Rodri’s comments, or recognise the sensitivity.

One user wrote on Twitter/X: ‘Used to play in England*’

Another said: ‘Not the brightest spark. Can we ask his views on Ceuta and Melilla?’

Both are autonomous cities recognised as being Spanish on the north African coast, bordering Morocco.

Critics replied that Ceuta and Melilla were founded before Morocco and were ‘not colonies’ like Gibraltar.

‘Gibraltar is internationally recognised… as a colony,’ another user wrote.

The status of Gibraltar – founded by the Almohad Caliphate some 850 years ago – remains contentious in Spain.

The territory and city was first ceded to the British during the War of Spanish Succession in the early 18th century.

Spain agreed peace in 1713 after a long and bloody war, giving up its claim to the French throne and providing guarantees the two would not merge to ensure the balance of power on the continent.

As part of the condition, Britain kept Gibraltar, which would become an important base for control of the Mediterranean in later wars.

But the treaty did not define clear lines delineating the start of the British territory and the end of the Spain, fueling strong feelings about claims in the region.

 

Spain has consistently claimed sovereignty, inferring that the 1704 perimeter of the old town sets out the limits of the British claim alone, but Gibraltar’s constitution says there can be no transfer to Spain without popular consent.

A 2002 referendum among residents showed overwhelming support for the status quo.

Brexit, however, complicated matters, with many locals dependent on free and easy movement between Spain and Gibraltar.

Nationalistic fervour thus comes at an uneasy time, with Britain and Spain locked in difficult talks over the future of the territory since the EU referendum.

In November, Madrid said Spain was ‘very close’ to signing a deal on the post-Brexit status of the territory, without giving further details. 

Again in April, the head of the territory said a deal was ‘within kissing distance’ and ‘very, very, very, very close’, but nothing has yet been finalised.