Athletic Club have fired a warning shot at Spain and Barcelona over Nico Williams speculation
Athletic Club President Jon Uriarte fired returns to the Real Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and Barcelona for its management Nico Williams in the last few weeks. Speculation about his future has reached a fever pitch in recent weeks, and Athletic is not happy that the RFEF has not intervened.
Spain have made their players regularly available to the media during Euro 2024, and this has meant that Williams has faced a number of questions about his future, and whether he would like to play with some of his team-mates of La Roja in Barcelona. Lamine Yamal always said he would like it.
Breaking: Barcelona and Nico Williams have reached an agreement in principle. Now, Barça must find ways to pay the winger's release clause. @DBR8
— Barcacentre (@barcacentre) July 10, 2024
Public pressure was raised on Monday by the president of Barcelona, Joan Laporta, when he said that not only Barcelona have the money to sign him, but who was a fan of Williams. Now Uriarte has answered. He said the following as the club presented new signings Andoni Gorosabel and Alvaro Djalo, and it was released as an official statement on their website.
“Nico, a very committed footballer at Athletic Club, has been subjected to a bombardment of questions about his future in an excessive and uncontrolled way, when he is focused on competing at the Euros by the Spanish Football Federation, which does not they didn't know how to protect him.”
“Respect between all the actors that make up football is a fundamental basis, or that's how we conceive it in the Athletic Club, which does not have the formula of submitting players with contracts to other clubs to public pressure to try to sign.
#AthleticClub President Jon Uriarte complained about the treatment of Nico Williams.
He says that the Spanish Federation did not protect him from the “bombardment” of questions about his future, in an “excessive” and “uncontrolled” way. #FCBarcelonapic.twitter.com/Qv1EoefKrK
— Football España (@footballespana_) July 11, 2024
“Athletic aspires to the maximum, without limits. We show that we have an attractive and winning project for our footballers and coaches. The proof is that we recently renewed two of our internationals, Unai Simon (2029) and Dani Vivian (2031), Nico signed last year until 2027, and coveted players like Oihan Sancet, Benat Prados, Julen Agirrezabala and Aitor Paredes, to give some examples.
“Athletic Club is economically, socially and sportingly able to keep footballers of the caliber of those named in its structure, including Nico Williams.”
Relations between Barcelona and Athletic have been strained in recent times, due to the Negreira scandal and the Blaugrana's pursuit of Inigo Martinez, which ended with the defender signing with Barcelona for free last summer. Talk of Williams has dominated the past few weeks though, with Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool all interested in the 21-year-old.
