Atletico Madrid are to appeal a two-game partial stadium ban imposed after Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams was allegedly targeted with racist abuse during Saturday’s La Liga fixture at the Metropolitano Stadium.
The ban imposed by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) will see the south stand, where the Frente Atletico ultras stand, partially closed for their final two La Liga matches of the 2023-24 season — against Celta Vigo on May 12 and Osasuna on May 19.
The RFEF has also ordered the club to display an anti-discrimination message on the empty section of the ground, and fined them €20,000.
Atletico say they are working with police to identify the perpetrator and have vowed to suspend them.
The fixture between Atletico and Athletic was stopped in the 36th minute after Williams, 21, drew attention to something said to him from the Metropolitano Stadium crowd.
The winger’s older brother, Inaki Williams, also spoke to referee Martinez Munuera, who went over to the sideline and asked the stadium announcer to read the La Liga protocol statement against all racist, xenophobic and violent speech.
Atletico captain Koke and defender Jose Maria Gimenez appeared to tell home fans in the area usually occupied by the Frente Atletico ultras to stop, while Koke spoke to Williams and shook his hand before the game continued.
The stadium announcer called for an end to “offensive insults”, and this was greeted by whistles from a section of supporters.
Williams was also whistled repeatedly by Atletico fans whenever he touched the ball following the incident. When the Spain international scored Athletic’s equaliser on the stroke of half time at the same end of the pitch the alleged abuse took place, and celebrated by pointing to his arm.
“I went to take the corner and I heard some ‘monkey noises’,” Williams told DAZN after the game. “It’s true it was just a few (people). There are fools in all places. So it’s not a big deal, we have to keep working so that this changes bit by bit, as in the end we are having an internal and external fight against this. It is what it is.”
Atletico released a statement condemning “any acts of racism and hatred”, while a La Liga statement read: “La Liga firmly condemns any gesture of racism and will continue working to eradicate these intolerable behaviours from our sport.”
Atletico had a partial stadium ban overturned in April 2022 for their Champions League quarter-final against Manchester City, having initially been handed a 5,000-seat closure by UEFA for alleged discriminatory behaviour in the first leg. They were previously ordered by UEFA to close part of their stadium in the 2018-19 Champions League, after a racist banner was unfurled during the 2018 Europa League final in Lyon.
(Oscar del Pozo/AFP via Getty Images)
