Overview

• The incident occurred in the 16th minute when Athletic Bilbao's Iñaki Williams reported racist abuse directed at teammate Maroan Sannadi, whose parents are Moroccan.
• Referee Guillermo Cuadra Fernández stopped the match, and anti-racism messages were displayed on stadium screens, warning fans of potential suspension or abandonment of the game.
• Both Espanyol and Athletic Bilbao issued strong statements condemning racism, with LaLiga also reiterating its commitment to combating discrimination in football.
• This is not the first time Espanyol has faced racism-related incidents; in 2020, the club banned 12 fans for racially abusing Iñaki Williams during a match.
• The match resumed after the interruption and ended in a 1-1 draw, with goals from Espanyol's Roberto Fernández and Athletic's Oihan Sancet.