A Spanish court issued a tight judicial ruling against a fan of racist insults to Moroccan international Omar Al -Hilali, Espanyol player in October 2023.
The fan was condemned to direct racist insults to Al-Hilali during the Cartagene and Espanyol match that was held on October 5, 2023 in the ninth round of the second division football league in Spain, 2023-2024 season at the Cartagonova Stadium.
The Court of First Instance, No. 4 in Cartageneh, accused the fans of committing a crime against human dignity under Article 173.1 of the Spanish Criminal Code.
🚨 Ocho Messenger De Prisión Por Insultos Racistas A El Hilali en 2023
🔙 Los Hechos Se Produjeron en un hartido entre espanyol y Cartagena Hace DOS AñOS En el Cartagonova
– Diario as (@diarioas) May 24, 2025
Accordingly, the court issued a sentence to imprison the fan for 8 months, in addition to preventing him from entering football fields that host official matches for two years.
However, the court suspended the execution of the prison sentence for two years, according to several conditions mentioned by the Spanish newspaper “Mundo Deportivo”:
- This fan does not commit any similar crime during the mentioned period.
- To abide by the penalty for the entry of the stadiums.
- A public apology to the player Omar Al -Hilali.
- Complete a training course on equality and non -discrimination.
The newspaper believes that this punishment is a clear example of the strict orientation of the Spanish judiciary against racial discrimination in the stadiums, and a new step to enhance the values of respect and equality in sports.
These developments come at a time when Al -Hilali, 21, celebrates the guarantee of staying with Espanyol for another season in the Spanish League.
It was confirmed that the Catalan team remained between the elite teams by defeating Las Palmas with two goals without a response, scored by Javi Badu from a penalty kick and Berry Mila in the 65th and 82nd minutes of the match that was held for the 38th and final round of the Spanish League.
Espanyol raised its score to 42 points, two points behind Leganes, who accompanied Las Palmas and the country of Alwaleed to the second degree.
Al -Hilali participated with Espanyol this season in 37 games in all championships, in which he did not score any goal, but he gave his teammates two decisive passes.