Man handed a fine and a three-year ban from entering football grounds in addition to the suspended one-year sentence
A Barcelona court has handed down a one-year prison sentence to a man who racially abused Athletic Bilbao striker Inaki Williams during a league match at Espanyol’s Cornella-El Prat stadium in 2020.
The defendant, who was not named, admitted to making monkey noises and gestures at Williams. Alongside the sentence, he accepted a fine, a three-year ban from entering football grounds and a five-year disqualification from working in education or sports-related professions.
Prosecutors had initially sought a two-year sentence but reached a settlement with the defence for a single year. Under Spanish law, prison terms of less than two years for non-violent first-time offenders are usually suspended, meaning the man is unlikely to serve time behind bars unless he reoffends.
If the initial two-year sentence had been imposed, he would have had to serve actual prison time.
The ruling comes in a period of increased scrutiny on racism cases in Spanish football. Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior was subjected to racist abuse in a match against Valencia in 2023, and four Valencia fans were eventually handed suspended sentences in court.
A minor who racially abused Vinicius was also fined and given a one-year stadium ban in November 2024.
Earlier this year, a La Liga match between Athletic Bilbao and Espanyol was halted briefly after Williams alerted officials to alleged racist insults directed at teammate Maroan Sannadi.
Spanish authorities and La Liga have promised tougher sanctions in response to racist incidents. They have also been praised by several footballing bodies for the concrete steps taken so far to address the issue and charge offenders to court.
Last year, Fifa president Gianni Infantino said in a statement that he was “pleased to see the firm action and sentencing taken by the Spanish authorities” in relation to racist abuse, calling it “a positive step”.
“Our message to people anywhere in the world who still behave in a racist way when they are dealing with football is clear: we don’t want you,” said Infantino.
“These people have to be excluded. They are not part of our community and not part of football.”
