The captain of Athletic Club, Inaki Williams, does not move in his words criticizing the decision to host the Spanish Supercup in Saudi Arabia. Los Leones will face Barcelona in the first semi-final this evening in Jeddah, with the final taking place on Sunday night.
Last week Williams described playing the Supercup in Saudi Arabia as s***, criticizing the fact that it was difficult for Athletic fans to make the trip, and it was expensive to travel to the Middle East. He also pointed out that usually Athletic is met by a crowd in favor of Real Madrid or Barcelona. Before the semi-final, Williams faced the Saudi media.
“Considering what is being said, being honest and saying things the way one thinks usually means that one should be a little careful. The manager, who has a lot of experience in this, spoke to me before going to the media and told me that he would try to downplay this issue. Maybe the word I used was inappropriate, but it is still a problem for everyone, especially for our Athletic fans,” he told MD.
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Williams is hoping to play the role of ‘Cinderella’ in the Supercup
That said, Athletic were determined to come into this game as underdogs. Williams said he has no problem not focusing on the Basque giants.
“In the end, competing for the title is always special, and representing Athletic is always good. We fight for it. I think we have achieved that; we managed to win the Super Cup against Real Madrid and Barcelona. We will try to start 2026 well, to make people proud of their team. We will do it!”
“We like to keep the image low. Playing the role of Cinderella is good for us because it puts less pressure on our shoulders and allows us to surprise everyone. We already did it in 2021 and we want to do it again.”
Valverde: ‘It is clear that we are here because of Real Madrid and Barcelona’
Manager Ernesto Valverde also asked questions from the media during the build-up, and admitted that Barcelona and Real Madrid were the ones behind the agreement of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to receive 52 million euros for hosting the event in Saudi Arabia, with 23 million euros divided (unevenly) between the teams.
“That’s the way, it’s clear that we’re here because Real Madrid and Barca are coming, and that’s what creates a lot of excitement. The thing is, we have to play two games; anything can happen in ninety minutes, and we have to go there and take advantage of that.”
“They are a team with many different options. If we want to win tomorrow, we have to be clinical because they are usually like that. Barca beat Espanyol with two amazing goals. They took the lead in our game before the game. [in November].”
Asked what changes he has seen in Barcelona since meeting for the first time this season at Camp Nou, Valverde revealed that the Catalans are in better form.
“There are a lot of similarities. The style of play is the same, but the form has changed. Ferran gets more playing time now. They force you to play a certain way by pressing up the pitch. It’s easier to see than to do. Everyone makes their own analysis. The hard part is convincing those who will be left out.”
Los Leones will be hoping that the Supercup can give the side a boost, after a disappointing campaign. Athletic have struggled to replicate their form from last season, with a number of their best players looking their best. However, a big win in Saudi Arabia could change the mood for Lelama.