Espanyol has thrown its full weight behind the Moroccan striker Omar Sadik after the player was subjected to disgusting racist abuse during Sunday’s game against Europa at Nou Sardenya.
The heated derby, which ended in a 2-1 win for Espanyol B, was blighted by racist chants hurled from a section of Europa supporters, targeting the young forward.
According to the referee’s official report, the disgusting incident took place in the 86th minute when Sadik reported being called a “puto moro” by a Europa fan in the stands.
El RCD Espanyol condemna, com sempre, qualsevol mostra de racisme als camps de futbol.
Tot el nostre suport a Omar Sadik. Que un grup reduït d’aficionats no embruti la imatge de l’afició del @CEEuropa.
Tolerància zero amb el racisme, tant als camps de futbol com a la nostra…— RCD Espanyol Futbol Base – Dani Jarque | La21 (@RCDE_La21) February 23, 2025
The referee wrote: “In the 86th minute, we activated the first phase of the racism protocol because Espanyol’s B forward, Omar Sadik, told me he had been called ‘f***ing Moroccan’ by someone in the stands. The individual was identified by their clothing, scarves, and flags, although the refereeing team did not personally hear the slur.”
Following the incident, Espanyol wasted no time standing by their player, blasting racism and offering their unwavering support to Sadik through an official statement on X/Twitter.
“Espanyol condemns, as always, any display of racism on football racism pitches. We fully support Omar Sadik. A group of fans should not tarnish the image of Europa supporters. Zero tolerance of racism – both on football pitches and in our society.”
Last week, Maroan Sannadi was the victim of vile racist abuse during today’s 1-1 draw against Espanyol at the RCDE Stadium.
Eyewitnesses say a section of the crowd shouted “puto moro” (f***ing Moroccan) at Athletico Bilbao’s striker after he won a corner. Referee Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez stopped play for three minutes, and an anti-racism message was played over the stadium speakers.
Abuse towards international players only adds to growing concerns about racism in La Liga. The Spanish federation feels the heat and is seriously under mounting pressure to take serious action and prevent further abhorrent scenes.
