England manager Thomas Tuchel will remind his players of Uefa's anti-racism protocols before Sunday's Nations League fixture against Spain in Madrid, the first England match in the Spanish capital since the 2004 friendly at the Bernabeu was marred by racist chanting.
The Group A4 decider takes place at Atletico Madrid's Metropolitano stadium, with England three points behind Spain at the top of the section. Victory would secure first place and a more favourable quarter-final draw.
Spain arrive unbeaten in 43 matches, including a 3-2 win at Wembley in September. Tuchel said his side must reproduce the attacking, physical approach from that home game to end the world champions' long run without defeat.
The Spanish federation was fined last month and ordered to play its next friendly with a partial stadium closure after fans directed Islamophobic and xenophobic chants at Muslim players during a match against Egypt.
Tuchel said he held a similar discussion with the squad before the away game against Serbia in Belgrade in September 2025. "There is a protocol in place. Maybe we take our five minutes to inform the players about the protocol if there is a precedent [in Madrid]," he said.
Uefa's three-step protocol empowers referees to halt matches and, if necessary, abandon them. First, the referee stops play and requests a public-address announcement. If discrimination continues, the game is paused for five to 10 minutes and players are taken off the field. A third occurrence can lead to abandonment.
"It's important that the players know about the protocol," Tuchel said. "And then, yeah, we will give our answers if stuff like this happens. Best answers are on the pitch.",
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