Espanyol Fan Sentenced for Racism Against Williams

• An Espanyol fan sentenced for racism against Inaki Williams received a year ban and fine.

• La Liga praised the ruling as progress in the fight against abuse.

• Meanwhile, Vinicius and the Williams brothers demand stronger action.

A Barcelona court sentenced an Espanyol supporter to one year in prison after finding them guilty of racially abusing Athletic Bilbao striker Inaki Williams at the RCDE Stadium in January 2020.

Also Read: Racism in Football: 9 African footballers Who Faced Racial Discrimination – Background, Incidents

The court also fined the supporter roughly €1,000 and banned them from football stadiums for three years.

Under Spanish law, the sentence – being under two years and the person has no prior convictions , will not result in immediate jail time.

The Prosecutor’s Office had sought two years but accepted a plea deal.

La Liga praised the decision, calling it “another milestone in the fight against racism in football.”

The Espanyol fan sentenced for racism now faces legal and sporting penalties that include fine, ban and public condemnation.

This verdict comes during a run of high-profile incidents in Spanish football.

For example, stewards stopped a match at the same ground in February after visiting forward Maroan Sannadi reported racial abuse.

Police treated the hanging of a dummy of Vinicius Junior as a hate crime, and in June 2024 three Valencia fans received jail terms for abusing the same player.

As a result, Vinicius, Inaki and Nico Williams have used their platforms to press for stronger action.

The verdict delivers a clear warning: clubs, courts and fans must all act to stamp out racist abuse.