Full-fledged slap on the wrist from Ernesto Valverde to his captain, Iñaki Williams, to start the year. The Athletic coach has taken advantage … his appearance prior to the match between the Bilbao team and Osasuna in El Sadar this Saturday (4:15 p.m.) to call the international attacker with Ghana to task, who stated that playing the Super Cup in Saudi Arabia is “shit, speaking badly.” Everything happens in the context of the player’s recent paternity, who gave birth this Thursday, January 1, to his first baby with his wife, Patricia Morales.
«Playing in Arabia is shit, speaking badly; “Having to leave and having to leave my wife and my son here is a chore.”
Iñaki Williams
Athletic player
“Regardless of whether we like the format or not, I don’t know if Iñaki was very correct in his expression,” Valverde begins by reprimanding Iñaki. Athletic, after visiting Osasuna, will travel to Saudi Arabia to face Barcelona in the semi-finals of the Spanish Super Cup this coming Wednesday (8 p.m.) at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah and, if they win, they will face the winner of the other semi-final on Sunday the 11th (8 p.m.), which will be settled this Thursday, the 8th (8 p.m.), Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid. “We must be careful with the expressions we use,” was the coach’s taunt.
And the player, after stating that “playing in Arabia is shit, speaking badly,” referred to his personal situation after the open-door training on December 30: “In the next few days I am going to be a father and having to leave and having to leave my wife and son here is a chore.” The coach from Extremadura understands the winger’s situation, since »the birth of his son may upset him a little more«, but he does not share his reaction.
«We must be careful with the expressions we use»
Ernesto Valverde
Athletic Club Coach
Valverde reminded Williams that “for us going to Arabia means prestige” and also represents a clear sporting incentive, despite the fact that the competition is fierce against Barça first and then, in case of victory, against Real Madrid or Atlético: “We are not going to fool ourselves, we are going to play in the Super Cup and we have the possibility of winning a title and our club is charging to go there, so, although we would all like our fans to be there and count on them, of course, we must also be respectful of everything.” Txingurri emphasized.
