Iñaki Williams Accuses Barcelona of Media Pressure on Brother
Athletic Bilbao captain Iñaki Williams has accused FC Barcelona of orchestrating a deliberate media campaign designed to pressure his younger brother Nico Williams into joining the club—describing the tactic as damaging and misleading. What We Found Without naming the club directly, Iñaki stated that Barcelona launched a “media campaign they thought would work,” spreading rumors that unsettled Nico and Athletic Club supporters. He emphasized that “many of the things said were lies”—creating a toxic and destabilizing environment. Although Nico ultimately signed a long-term contract with Athletic through 2035, Iñaki revealed the saga caused emotional strain: a mural of Nico was vandalized twice, and someone smashed a window on his car. “Those aren’t things people talk about, but they hurt,” he said. He contrasted Barcelona’s public approach with Athletic’s more discreet recruitment style: “At Athletic… when we want a player, we […]