Moroccan Espanyol player: 'If someone doesn't come to work, they have to be sent back to their country'

Omar El Hilali is a young 21-year-old right-back who stands out at RCD Espanyol, and who represents Morocco at the international level. The young Moroccan, born in Catalonia, was forceful in his statements about one of the major debates in Spanish society: immigration that comes to commit crimes.

"People who come here and don't come to work should be sent back to their country," this was one of his statements to the media outlet Betevé. He also said that most immigrants are workers and that those people who come to commit crimes are the ones who tarnish the image of other immigrants.

He also admitted that he has experienced some episodes of racism; he finds an easy solution to stop these episodes. "I think it would be very simple that those people who don't come to work should be sent back to the country they come from, whichever it is."

Aware of his origins

Omar El Hilali, born in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, deeply values the affection he has received from Spain, the country where he grew up and developed as a person and footballer. Nevertheless, he has chosen to represent Morocco internationally, the land of his parents. In an interview with Relevo, he recounted his family's origins:

"One day, my father got a visa and came alone to Barcelona. My mother stayed in Morocco with my siblings. With effort, my father managed to save enough to bring the whole family. Then I was born."

Wave of hate on social media

Although a large part of public opinion has supported Omar El Hilali's statements (in fact, 70% of Spaniards are in favor of deporting illegal immigrants and criminals), the first reactions from certain media figures didn't take long to appear. Journalist Fonsi Loaiza stated that Omar El Hilali had bought into the far-right narrative with his statements.

It's important to know the background of this information professional. In 2014, he presented himself as the sports ideologist of Podemos, which had to issue a statement disavowing him. In 2024, Loaiza had no qualms about making up that the police killed a street vendor, an act for which he was convicted of serious slander against Madrid's Municipal Police.