Case of racism in LaLiga brought to court for the first time

In the Spanish First Division Football (LaLiga), the court decided to prosecute a fan who uttered racist insults to the black Athletic Bilbao footballer, Iñaki Williams, during the Espanyol-Athletic Bilbao match played on January 25, 2020.

The Spanish fan, who will be tried in the Provincial Court of Barcelona with the decision of the judge who evaluated the criminal complaints of the LaLiga institution and the Prosecutor’s Office, asks for 2 years in prison, 5 years of disqualification from entering the stadiums, in addition to get away from footballer Iñaki Williams and a fine.
In the case, which will be the first in terms of bringing racism to justice in football in Spain, the defendant is accused of violation of fundamental rights and freedoms, racism and rhetoric against moral integrity.

Recently, while racist speeches against Brazilian footballer Vinicius Junior, who played for Real Madrid, have been on the agenda, a criminal complaint for racist insults against this footballer during the Barcelona-Real Madrid match at the Camp Nou on October 24 of 2021, due to the lack of identification of the perpetrators of the act, for which reason it was ineffective. (AA)