Bilbao's Iñaki Williams "sad" after being subjected to racist abuse at Espanyol
Iñaki Williams has spoken out after he was subjected to racist chanting by Espanyol supporters at the RCDE Stadium on Saturday.
Athletic Bilbao striker Iñaki Williams has expressed his sadness and disappointment after being racially abused by a group of fans during his side’s 1-1 draw with Espanyol at the RCDE Stadium.
The 25-year-old forward was subjected to racist chanting from the ultras section of the Espanyol stadium.
Williams told his captain Iker Muniain about the incident, who then informed the referee Jose Sanchez Martinez. However the official made no reference to the incident in his post-match report.
Williams: Racist abuse "completely out of order"
"I'm sad because of the draw but above all because I suffered racist insults, no black player or any player ever wants to hear that," Williams said after the game.
"It's completely out of order, people should go to matches to enjoy themselves, to support their team; football is a team sport and should be played in a friendly atmosphere. It's a sad day because of these incidents which have no place in football."
Following his post-match interview, the Bilbao native also took to Twitter to criticise the incident, while calling for an end to racism in football.
“It is very sad that today we continue to experience racist scenes in football,” he tweeted. "We have to end it among EVERYONE. Thanks for your support.”
Williams was also abused by Gijón supporters in 2016
It is not the first time that Williams has been subjected to racist abuse as a Bilbao player. In 2016, during a match between Gijón and Bilbao on the opening weekend of the LaLiga season, the Rojiblancos forward was the target of racist chanting by a section of Gijon supporters, prompting the referee to stop the game.
The match eventually resumed after announcements to stop the abuse were made over the PA system as Gijón players also tried to silence their own supporters.