Espanyol Fan Jailed and Banned for Racist Abuse of Inaki Williams

A Barcelona court on Wednesday sentenced an Espanyol supporter to one year in prison for racially abusing Athletic Bilbao striker, Inaki Williams. The incident occurred in January 2020 at the RCDE Stadium, where the fan directed racist chants and gestures at the Ghanaian international.

Under Spanish law, the offender will not serve prison time since the sentence is below two years and they have no prior convictions. Instead, they were fined €1,000 ($1,200) and barred from entering football stadiums for three years, according to the High Court of Justice of Catalonia.

Although prosecutors initially sought a two-year sentence, a deal was reached with the accused. La Liga described the ruling as a “milestone in the fight against racism in football and the eradication of violence in and around stadiums.”

Spanish football has faced a series of racist incidents in recent years. In February 2024, another Espanyol–Athletic clash was briefly halted after claims that visiting forward Maroan Sannadi suffered racist abuse from fans.

In June, four Atletico Madrid ultras received suspended prison terms for hanging a dummy of Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior from a bridge in a hate crime. Vinicius has repeatedly been a target of racist attacks since joining Madrid in 2018, with several offenders already convicted.

Also in June 2024, three Valencia fans were sentenced to eight months in prison for abusing Vinicius. Alongside him, Inaki Williams and his brother Nico Williams remain vocal figures in the ongoing campaign against racism in Spanish football.