Bahia excludes Willian José following controversial Northeast posts

Esporte Clube Bahia has excluded striker Willian José from the squad for the match against São Paulo following a social media controversy. The decision follows the player's decision to share videos from an influencer that contained offensive remarks about the Northeast region of Brazil, including descriptions of the region as a “cancer of the country” and criticisms of its voters following the presidential election.

Willian José, a native of Alagoas, issued a statement defending his actions, asserting that his intention was to criticize political management rather than the people. He stated, “I am Northeastern and I live in the Northeast! My family is Northeastern! I know what our people go through and how much they fight. But I also know what politicians in general do to our people and make them hostages of them.”

Bahia released an official note repudiating hate speech, xenophobia, and prejudice, stating that the content shared by the athlete does not represent the institution's values. The club emphasized its commitment to the defense of the Northeast and its culture, citing the literary reference, “The Northeasterner is, above all, a strong one.”

The Public Ministry of Bahia (MP-BA) has opened an investigation through the Prosecutor's Office for Combating Racism and Religious Intolerance to look into potential xenophobia related to the posts.