Ghana forward Inaki Williams has slammed the latest racist incident to hit the Spanish La Liga in recent years following the fallout from Athletic Bilbao’s game against Espanyol.
The game ended 1-1 but the controversial moment took place in the first half when the game was goalless and Williams reported to the referee that his Bilbao teammate Maroan Sannadi was getting racially abused by Espanyol fans.
The game was halted after Williams’ report and a message condemning racism by La Liga was displayed inside the stadium before the game continued.
In a post-game interview according to Cadena SER, Williams, who is very outspoken on racism issues called for fans to be fans and not get involved in the despicable act.
“Starting from a basic idea that people come to enjoy football, I believe that this type of thing cannot happen. Maroan has made an individual play and they have insulted him, saying ‘f***ing moor’. It is not the first time that this has happened here, it has already happened to me, but that should not tarnish the Espanyol fans.”
“Football must be supported, Espanyol needs its fans and not the four idiots tarnishing true football. It’s a shame, the referee acted very well, although I have not understood why the Espanyol fans then whistled me. Let’s hope it is corrected, given visibility and that there is punishment for the perpetrators.”
✊🏿 Zero tolerance against racism, zero tolerance for any kind of discrimination.
❌ There’s no room for racists and racism at football stadiums or in society.#AthleticClub 🦁 https://t.co/iptYgOe6h0
— Athletic Club (@Athletic_en) February 16, 2025
Inaki Williams captained the Bilbao side in the draw against Espanyol; the 30 year old has four goals and seven assists in 23 La Liga games.
