BARCELONA — Police in Catalonia opened an investigation into Islamophobic and xenophobic chants heard during the first half of a friendly football match between Spain and Egypt at RCDE Stadium in Barcelona on Tuesday. The match ended in a 0-0 draw.

Catalonia's regional police force confirmed the probe on Wednesday. "We are investigating yesterday's Islamophobic and xenophobic chants at RCDE Stadium during the Spain-Egypt friendly match," the force said in a public statement.

The chanting prompted stadium officials to take action during the match. At halftime, a message warning fans against xenophobic remarks and singing was displayed on the screen at RCDE Stadium. The stadium announcer also read a request warning fans against xenophobic remarks and singing. The warning was repeated early in the second half, prompting whistles from some sections of the crowd.

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente condemned the behavior in remarks after Tuesday's match. "The chants were intolerable," de la Fuente said. "Violent people use football to carve out a space for themselves."

De la Fuente called for those responsible to face consequences. "They must be removed from society, identified, and kept as far away as possible," he said.

The Spanish Football Federation, known as the RFEF, also responded to the incident. "The RFEF stands against racism in football and condemns any act of violence inside stadiums," the federation said in a statement.

The friendly had been scheduled to be played in Qatar but was moved to RCDE Stadium, home of La Liga side Espanyol, because of the war in the Middle East.