Athletic Bilbao captain Inaki Williams just isn’t having Saudi Arabia.
Athletic are playing in the four team money grab Spanish Supercopa which will be taking place in the Middle East.
Williams earlier called the choice ‘a load of s***’ citing the lack of home support and also the fact that his wife will soon give birth and now he has to leave the country.
The honesty of the comments made enough headlines that Athletic coach Ernesto Valverde was asked about them and said: “I’m not sure the expression he used was very appropriate.”
Williams agreed in response, but didn’t venture from his initial point.
“Given the circumstances, being natural and saying things as you think them… sometimes you have to be careful,” he said.
“Maybe the word I used wasn’t the right one, but it’s still a shame for everyone.
“When I have to speak, I often make mistakes because I try to be honest, but it’s a shame not having our fans here.
“In Spain, our fan base is huge. They would have been there for us. Tomorrow will probably feel like playing away from home.”
He added: “As you all know, I tried to give my opinion. Perhaps that wasn’t the right word.
“The manager, who has more experience, spoke with me and said he would come out and try to downplay it.
“But I don’t regret it. I still think it’s a shame that the fans can’t come with us.”
Leave a Reply