😳 Xenophobia? Ourense mayor pulls no punches, takes aim at Athletic

The mayor of Ourense, Gonzalo Pérez Jácome, has sparked controversy after the Copa del Rey draw paired Ourense CF with Athletic Club.

His statements, far from showing sportsmanship, have generated a strong media stir by harshly criticizing the philosophy of the Bilbao club. Jácome described the draw result as a "consolation prize" and not the "Jackpot" it would have been to receive a team like Real Madrid or FC Barcelona, with the aim of "making money."

💣 El ALCALDE de OURENSE 'raja' de la FILOSOFÍA del ATHLETIC:

🔥 "Tiene un paralelismo con la XENOFOBIA, es una POLÍTICA DISCRIMINATORIA INTOLERABLE".

ENTREVISTA @elchiringuitotv | @gonzalojacome se queda a gusto con @gorkagrn. pic.twitter.com/i9YsN3qyYg

— El Chiringuito TV (@elchiringuitotv) December 10, 2025

The Ourense councilman did not stop there, but directly attacked Athletic's recruitment policy, focused on Basque players or those trained in Euskal Herria. Pérez Jácome was blunt, labeling the club's philosophy as a "discriminatory policy" and drawing an explicit parallel with xenophobia. He argued that "under Spanish labor laws, it is prohibited to discriminate against someone based on their place of birth," yet this practice is allowed "with total impunity" in the sports field.

The mayor even went so far as to question whether the San Mamés entity's policy could be considered illegal in legal terms. "You can use whatever euphemism you want, but it's a clear parallel with xenophobia. 'Only those born here can play'... It's an intolerable discrimination. It could even be illegal," he stated in his comments to El Chiringuito.

The criticism also extended to the club's nomenclature, with irony about language usage. At one point in his remarks, the politician said: "I don't know what they call Athletic Bilbao in the professional world jargon now, if they call it Athletic, well, I didn't know," adding a note of mockery towards what he perceives as "a feel-good rhetoric."

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

📸 ANDER GILLENEA - AFP or Licensors