The Black Star forward decried the state of racism in the league after the latest incident
Athletic Club forward Iñaki Williams has called for stronger action against racism in LaLiga after his teammate Maroan Sannadi was subjected to racial abuse during their 1-1 draw against Espanyol at the RCDE Stadium on Sunday.
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Williams, who reported the incident to the referee, revealed that this was not the first time such abuse had occurred in Spanish football.
Williams demands punishment for perpetrators
Williams was close to the incident when Sannadi was targeted with racist insults, prompting him to alert the referee and trigger the league’s anti-racism protocol. Speaking to Cadena SER, the Ghanaian forward stressed the need for punishment to deter such behaviour.
“Starting from a basic idea that people come to enjoy football, I believe that this type of thing cannot happen,” Williams said, adding, “Maroan has made an individual play and they have insulted him, saying ‘fing 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.”
Athletic Bilbao’s Maroan Sannadi | Imago
Williams acknowledged that racism was a football-wide problem, not just an issue at Espanyol, and insisted that the league must ensure sanctions for those responsible, saying, “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.”
LaLiga’s ongoing struggle against racism
Racism has been a persistent issue in Spanish football, with several high-profile incidents, most notably involving Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior in recent years.
Vinicius Junior is on the trends because of the alleged racist insults he suffered playing for Real Madrid against Valencia last season. – Imago
Williams, who has also been a victim in the past, described how the abuse unfolded on Sunday, saying, “It was a quick play, the ball went out for a corner, we both heard ‘fing Moor’.
“We stood looking at each other and then I told the linesman so they would be aware. The linesman communicated it to the referee and then he came to tell me that he was going to activate the protocol.”
Inaki Williams celebrates one of his goals.
“It makes me very sad. We are aware that not everyone is the brightest, it is not a tasteful dish, but four idiots cannot tarnish what we are or where we are from.”
Although LaLiga and Spanish authorities have recently introduced harsher punishments, including prison sentences, debates continue over whether the current measures are sufficient deterrents to curb racism in football.
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