Inaki Williams: "Playing in Saudi Arabia is rubbish"

Athletic Bilbao’s January schedule leaves little room for breathing space. The Basque side open the new year this Saturday with a league clash against Osasuna, before heading off just 48 hours later to Jeddah for the Spanish Super Cup, where Barcelona await them in the semifinals.

Captain Inaki Williams hasn’t hidden his frustration about the destination. For him, the Super Cup being staged in Saudi Arabia makes little sense. He bluntly described the experience by saying: "Playing in Saudi Arabia is rubbish," arguing that the location strips the tournament of atmosphere, limits fan turnout, and leaves a club like Athletic feeling anonymous in unfamiliar surroundings.

This trip also comes at a deeply personal moment for the striker. Williams is set to become a father for the first time this week, which has prompted internal discussions at the club about whether he should be excused from traveling. "Leaving my wife and son here is a real pain," he admitted. Even so, the forward has not asked for special treatment, stressing his commitment: "I'm available to the club and I'll try to have the best Super Cup possible ," he said.

Looking back at the festive pause, Williams believes the break arrived at the perfect time. The squad, in his words, needed to step away and reset. He also came out strongly in defense of head coach Ernesto Valverde, dismissing doubts about his position. "I struggle to understand it. The team is 1000% behind him. He's the coach who made us champions again."

With one eye on the future, the elder of the Williams brothers is optimistic about what lies ahead in 2026. He expects Athletic to hit the ground running and insists the Copa del Rey remains a major objective. "We want to win that title again , but sticking to the quiet motto that led us to win the last one. We all know the wonderful nights the Cup has given us."