LaLiga: Espanyol-Athletic Club Match Marred by Racist Chants, Ends in 1-1 Draw

A LaLiga match between Espanyol and Athletic Club was temporarily halted due to racist chants aimed at Athletic forward Maroaan Sannadi, ultimately ending in a 1-1 draw.

Athletic Club's LaLiga match against Espanyol was temporarily halted due to racist chanting directed at forward Maroaan Sannadi. The incident occurred in the 16th minute, prompting referee Cuadra Fernandez to activate the anti-racism protocol. Sannadi's teammate, Inaki Williams, reported the insults, leading to a three-minute interruption in play.

During the pause, a message was broadcast over the public address system, urging fans to cease their racist chants. The referee warned that any further incidents would result in the match being stopped again. Williams condemned the racist behavior, stating, “This type of thing shouldn't happen. This is not the first time this has happened here. The referee acted very well. We must punish the culprits.”

The match ultimately ended in a 1-1 draw, denying Athletic Club the opportunity to close the gap on the top two teams in LaLiga. Despite the disappointing result, the incident highlighted the need for continued efforts to combat racism in football.

Following the restart, Espanyol took the lead in the 62nd minute through Roberto Fernandez's goal. However, Athletic Club responded 15 minutes later, with Oihan Sancet scoring the equalizer. Sancet had previously made headlines with a hat-trick in Athletic's win over Girona the previous weekend.

🔚 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟

El Athletic suma otro punto a domicilio remontando un resultado adverso frente al Espanyol.

👏 Erreakzio txalogarria, talde!#EspanyolAthletic #AthleticClub 🦁 pic.twitter.com/ffPIuR9Qdv

— Athletic Club (@AthleticClub) February 16, 2025

The draw was an underwhelming outcome for both teams. Athletic Club had been presented with an opportunity to gain ground on the top two teams, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, who both drew their matches on Saturday. Instead, Athletic remains in fourth place, three points behind third-placed Barcelona and six points behind leaders Real Madrid.

Espanyol will lament the two points dropped, but the draw still allowed them to climb out of the relegation zone. They now occupy 15th place with 24 points, holding a slender one-point advantage over 18th-placed Valencia, the first team in the relegation zone.