The Athletic Club striker was the victim of xenophobic insults during his time at Atlético de Madrid. The Colchoneros players themselves asked their fans to calm down, while the Spanish team scored and celebrated by showing their skin color.
The problem of racism in La Liga seems endless . The Spanish competition has been at the center of controversy for some time due to the constant discriminatory acts that set the tone. Today, A new scandal returns to the cover.
The Cívitas Metropolitano was involved in an unfortunate episode. Athletic Club Bilbao striker Nico Williams received xenophobic insults during his team’s defeat against Atlético Madrid.
The Basque striker was about to take a corner when a Colchonero supporter called out to him from the stands. In the TV show, a man could be seen shouting “monkey” at him.
The event caused an instant reaction from the player. Iñaki, older brother and teammate of the person concerned, was the first to notice it and therefore informed judge Martínez Munuera, who stopped the match for a few moments. The referee also recorded what happened with the field delegate.
From Atlético de Madrid, they reacted. It was the players themselves, led by Koke, José María Giménez and Antoine Griezmann, who addressed their supporters asking them not to repeat the insults. Meanwhile, the sports venue’s loudspeakers also transmitted a message to fans, asking them to “refrain from making offensive shouts.” Only then did the match resume.
Williams’ Revenge
A few minutes after the insult, the revenge of the youngest Williams . Atlético won thanks to a goal from Rodrigo De Paul until the last minute of regulation in the first half. Nico sealed the tie and celebrated wildly. The Hispanic team celebrated by showing their forearms, aptly showing their skin color. in an action he repeated several times.
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The celebration also included a brotherly hug between the brothers. Of course, this did not please the Colchonera supporters, who began to boo Nico after each of his interventions.
The score didn’t help the final result, as the Basques ended up losing 3-1, but it provoked a series of reactions. Atlético de Madrid, through its social networks, condemned what happened: “Atlético de Madrid is against any act of racism or hatred “, they declared. While LaLiga did the same: And LaLiga: “There is no place in sport for racist or hateful acts. LaLiga strongly condemns any gesture of racism and will continue to work until this intolerable behavior is eradicated from our sport. “, they noted.
Previously, Nico Williams had already spoken about racism, in particular what Vinícius Junior had experienced. “Many times he is insulted because he is a great player and other times also because he is black. I think both of these things are wrong and need to be removed. Because in the end, you can’t insult a player. You have to go and enjoy the match, celebrate with your fans and cheer for the team,” he said last March, in conversation with AS.
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Source: Latercera
I’m Scott Moore, a professional writer and journalist based in the US. I’ve been writing for various publications for over 8 years now, and have been working as an author at athletistic for the past five years. My work has been featured by some of the leading sports websites and magazines across Europe.
