Players of Morocco celebrate their team's 2-1 victory over Brazil...

Players of Morocco celebrate their team's 2-1 victory over Brazil at the end of a friendly soccer match between Morocco and Brazil at the Ibn-Batouta stadium, in Tangier, Morocco, Saturday, March 25, 2023. Credit: AP/Mosa'ab Elshamy

MADRID — A hotel employee in Madrid has been arrested for racially insulting members of Morocco's national team, authorities told the Spanish news agency EFE on Monday.

The employee allegedly published the insults on social media. He was denounced by other hotel employees who saw the posts. Some of the posts carried photos of the Moroccan players along with the insults.

Morocco will face Peru in a friendly at Metropolitano Stadium in the Spanish capital on Tuesday.

Morocco was the biggest surprise of the World Cup in Qatar last year, eliminating Spain in the round of 16 and Portugal in the quarterfinals before losing to France in the semifinals. It eventually finished fourth.

The team defeated Brazil in a friendly on Saturday.

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