In a troubling incident during Sunday's LaLiga match between Espanyol and Athletic Club, which ended in a 1-1 draw, the game was temporarily halted due to racist abuse directed at Athletic forward Maroan Sannadi from home supporters.
The incident occurred in the 17th minute when referee Guillermo Cuadra Fernández activated the anti-racism protocol after being alerted to racist chants. Following protocol, a warning message was displayed on the stadium's big screens, accompanied by an announcement that further incidents would result in either temporary suspension or abandonment of the match.
Athletic Club forward Iñaki Williams, who brought the incident to the referee's attention, later clarified that his teammate Sannadi, who is of Moroccan origin, was the target of the racist abuse. "You come to football to enjoy yourself," Williams told reporters. "These type of things cannot happen. There was a moment in the first half in the corner when racist abuse was shouted at Maroan from the stands."
Williams, who himself was previously subjected to racist abuse at the same venue, added, "It's not the first time it's happened here. It happened to me a few years ago as well. Four people should not tarnish all Espanyol's supporters, though. Their full-back [Omar] El Hilali is Moroccan. [Former Cameroon goalkeeper] Thomas N'Kono is a legend here."
Athletic coach Ernesto Valverde addressed the incident in his post-match news conference, stating, "In the moment I didn't know if it was Maroan or Iñaki, just that the referee explained that he had activated the protocol. But it doesn't matter which player it was. We don't like that this happens to our player or to opposition players, in this stadium or in any stadium."
This incident adds to a concerning pattern of racist behavior in Spanish football. In 2020, Williams himself was targeted with monkey noises at the RCDE Stadium, leading to stadium bans for 12 identified Espanyol fans. Real Madrid's Vinícius Júnior has also been repeatedly subjected to racist abuse, prompting significant legal action. Last June, three Valencia fans received eight-month jail sentences for racially abusing Vinícius, marking Spain's first such verdict.
Recent months have seen additional cases, including a 12-month suspended sentence for a Mallorca supporter who racially insulted Vinícius and Villarreal's Samuel Chukwueze. The Spanish national police have also made arrests related to hate campaigns against Vinícius, while Barcelona defender Alejandro Balde reported racial abuse from Getafe supporters during a recent match.
LaLiga and the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) have implemented strict protocols to combat racism, allowing referees to halt matches upon observing or being alerted to racist behavior. The protocol includes public announcements and the possibility of match abandonment if the behavior persists after initial warnings.
