Atletico Madrid faces two-match partial stand closure following racist abuse incident

Atletico Madrid Punished for Racist Abuse Towards Athletic Bilbao Player

ATLETICO Madrid has been handed a partial stadium closure for two matches by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) following racist abuse directed at Athletic Bilbao player Nico Williams during Saturday’s LaLiga game.

The incident occurred in the 36th minute of the match when referee Juan Martinez Munuera stopped play after hearing racist insults aimed at the 21-year-old Spain international, who was born to Ghanaian parents in Pamplona.

Atletico has also been fined 20,000 euros ($21,360) and has 10 days to appeal the decision. The RFEF has mandated that the closed section of the stands must display a visible message condemning violent, racist, xenophobic, and intolerant acts in football while supporting fair play.

Williams, who scored a goal shortly after the abuse, responded by tapping his arm in reference to his skin color in front of the south stand.

The incident is part of a larger issue of racism in Spanish football, with 16 reported incidents of racist abuse against Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr in the last two seasons. Earlier this month, a TV analyst was fired for making a comment interpreted as racist, and Getafe was also punished for racist and xenophobic abuse towards Sevilla.

In a separate incident, a third-division match was suspended after a Senegalese goalkeeper confronted a fan who was racially abusing him.

The ongoing problem of racism in Spanish football continues to be a major concern, with calls for stronger action to be taken against offenders.