Athletic Club squandered an opportunity to narrow the gap on the top two teams in LaLiga, settling for a 1-1 draw against a struggling Espanyol on Sunday. The match was temporarily halted due to incidents of racist chanting.
In the 16th minute, referee Cuadra Fernandez was compelled to implement the anti-racism protocol following derogatory remarks directed at Athletic forward Maroan Sannadi, as reported by his teammate Inaki Williams.
The game was paused for three minutes while a message went out over the public address system urging fans to cease their offensive remarks. The referee cautioned that any further disruptions would result in another stoppage.
“This sort of behaviour is unacceptable. It’s not the first occurrence we’ve witnessed here. The referee handled the situation appropriately. We need to hold the perpetrators accountable,” Williams stated.
Upon resuming play, Roberto Fernandez put Espanyol in the lead in the 62nd minute, but Oihan Sancet, fresh off his hat-trick performance against Girona last weekend, equalised just 15 minutes later.
Neither team was particularly pleased with the outcome.
On Saturday, Athletic had seen league leaders Real Madrid and second-placed Atletico Madrid both settle for draws.
This latest stalemate keeps Athletic in fourth place, three points behind Barcelona, who are set to host Rayo Vallecano on Monday, and six points adrift of Real.
Espanyol, while disappointed by the two dropped points, nonetheless managed to escape the relegation zone, climbing to 15th with 24 points, just one point clear of 18th-placed Valencia, who are in the relegation spots.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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