- A man has been handed a jail term on Wednesday, September 3, for racially abusing Black Stars striker Iñaki Williams
- The said incident occurred during a La Liga match between RCD Espanyol and Athletic Club
- Inaki’s national teammate, Antoine Semenyo, also suffered a similar ordeal just last month in a Premier League game against Liverpool
A Barcelona court has handed a one-year prison sentence to a man who racially abused Inaki Williams during a league match against Espanyol in January 2020.
The individual, believed to be an Espanyol supporter, was found guilty of making offensive chants and gestures at the RCDE Stadium.
Source: Getty Images
Man sentenced to prison for racially abusing Semenyo
The ruling was delivered on Wednesday, September 3, 2025.
However, under Spanish law, the punishment will not be served behind bars because the sentence is less than two years, and the offender has no prior criminal record, as noted by Al Jazeera.
He was also fined around 1,000 euros, the equivalent of GHS 14,030, and banned from attending football stadiums for three years, according to the High Court of Justice of Catalonia.
The Spanish Prosecutor’s Office had initially pushed for a two-year term but eventually reached an agreement with the accused.
La Liga welcomed the outcome, describing it as a step forward in addressing a long-standing problem.
“Today’s ruling represents another milestone in the fight against racism in football and the eradication of all forms of violence inside and outside stadiums,” the league said in a statement, as quoted by France24.
Ongoing battle against racism in football
The verdict comes at a time when Spanish football continues to wrestle with repeated incidents of racist abuse.
Earlier this year, another game between Espanyol and Athletic Club was temporarily halted after reports that Moroccan forward Maroan Sannadi had been subjected to discriminatory taunts from the stands.
In June, four Atletico Madrid ultras were handed suspended sentences after police classified the hanging of a dummy resembling Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior as a hate crime.
Vinicius himself has endured persistent targeting since joining Los Blancos in 2018, with several court rulings delivered against perpetrators.
In June 2024, three Valencia fans received eight-month jail terms for their racist behaviour toward the Brazilian.
Source: Twitter
The Williams brothers, Inaki and Nico, have also been at the forefront of the campaign to stamp out racism, joining Vinicius in raising awareness and demanding accountability.
Their voices, along with legal rulings such as this, continue to shape the broader fight against discrimination in the sport.
The problem extends beyond Spain. At the beginning of the current Premier League season, a 47-year-old man in the United Kingdom was arrested and later released on bail after racially abusing Antoine Semenyo on August 18.
His bail conditions include staying away from football stadiums and not coming within one mile of any designated ground, as reported by the BBC.
Germany-based Ghanaian footballer suffers racial abuse
In a separate incident, YEN.com.gh reported that Germany-based Ghanaian winger Christopher Antwi-Adjei was targeted with racial abuse during a DFB Pokal match on Sunday.
The 31-year-old was about to take a throw-in in the 13th minute when a home fan allegedly directed racist slurs at him.
Source: YEN.com.gh
Source: Yen.com.gh
