Spanish sports fans have gained a sad reputation for abject behaviour toward minority groups.

English fans will remember the night in November 2004 when Spanish fans hurled racist abuse and made monkey chants at England's black players in a match between the two countries. This prompted Ashley Cole to announce that he will never play for a club in "racist Spain".

In 2008 racing car driver Lewis Hamilton was jeered and subjected to monkey chants by pathetic fans in the course of the Barcelona Grand Prix.

Before the 2008 Beijing Olympics, a photograph of the Spanish national basketball team was released displaying the players making slant eyes in a mocking manner.

And now a new story has emerged from Osasuna, Spain. A match between Real Mallorca and Osasuna was marred by antisemitic chants thrown at Real Mallorca's Israeli goalkeeper Dudu Aouate.

According to referee Alfonso Alvarez Izquierdo, "From the 14th minute and on five other occasions in the first half, (anti-Semitic) chants... were directed at the visiting goalkeeper by the home fans behind the goal, every time he touched the ball," the referee said in his match report posted on the Spanish federation Web site. Izquierdo informed the match delegate and a message was put out over the stadium PA system calling for the chants to stop. They were not repeated in the second half."

According to Haaretz, "The fans waved Palestinian flags and also shouted "murderer" at Aouate.

Aouate sounded unfazed by the chanting, telling local media that, "This happens to me every time I play here in Pamplona. It really makes me happy that we won."

This is not the first time that the Israeli 'keeper has been subjected to anti-Semitic taunts by Osasuna fans. In 2006, while playing for Deportivo La Coruna, he also came in for some untoward treatment."

The Spanish football federation is set to bring Osasuna before a disciplinary committee.