An Espanyol supporter (LIGA) was sentenced to 12 months in prison for racist insults to the star of the Athletic Club, Iñaki Williams.
In a firm press release rendered by the central court of Barcelona, a man was sentenced to a prison sentence, according to Marca.
The case concerns racist songs addressed to Williams during the Liga match of the Athletic Club against Espanyol on January 25, 2020.
In addition to this sentence, the culprit was also sentenced to a fine of € 1,086, in accordance with an agreement with the prosecution.
The decision also provides for a ban on working in the educational and sports sectors for four years and a ban on frequenting a football stadium, regardless of its category for two years.
The notes of the court specifically refer to “Whistles from the section reserved for the stadium premises, located in the 108th section of the stands, where the accused, a Spanish national, was seated. “He acted” with an obvious contempt for the player's skin color “.
“The accused clearly had racist and contemptuous gestures towards Williams, which caused the footballer feelings of frustration, shame and humiliation, thus constituting a violation of his rights. »»
Vinicius Junior too has been targeted
Inaki Williams targeted
As part of the initial investigation, Williams made a declaration to the prosecution, saying that the incident had caused him a feeling of“Unacceptable humiliation, believing that it could still reproduce in 2025”.
The incident sparked strong attention at the time, the match having been interrupted after Williams complained to the referees of the RCDE stadium.
A second case of racist insults against Inaki took place during the trip against Espanyol in 2022 – and a third in 2025 – and is still the subject of an investigation by the Catalan authorities.
The latest incident has made it possible to test the hardening measures of the Liga in terms of racist incidents in the stadiums: the game was interrupted for three minutes, for a warning released by speakers.
