Nico Williams, at the Athletic Club key

I am writing these lines before knowing whether or not Nico Williams will play against Costa Rica in Spain’s World Cup debut. And I did that on purpose because I didn’t want to condition myself for it. Obviously I can’t ignore the historical situation he’s in, but I’d rather write about the youngest of the rojiblanco brothers than Qatar.

Having said that, I hope the cover of this newspaper is also for Nico because it will be a sign that he did something important against Costa Rica. That both did not play any minutes, but certainly if it was not yesterday, it will be in the next commitments against Germany or Japan. Let’s not kid ourselves, it was a bit of a surprise when Nico Williams was called up for the World Cup. Let’s see, let me explain.

Sung already after his performance against Portugal, his presence in the final list is almost certain despite being a player, with the path he had in the First Division, who before being called up had only played one full game in the international elite . That’s what I mean by being surprised by his call. However, Luis Enrique’s commitment to youth is more than evident and Navarrese is another example of this.

I said it last season and I’m reaffirming it this season: Nico Williams is no longer Iñaki’s brother. In football, of course. And little by little there is left to say that Iñaki is Nico’s brother. There is more, but not as much as it seems. And, by the way, the international with Ghana certainly does not think of this meaning.

Nico Williams is one of these Athletic references. A reality. Let’s just say that in the ranking of the desired shirts or choosing the rojiblanco to play goalkeeper (hope the training continues), Williams Jr. is in the top-3 of the selections.

the goals are love

Nico fights for the goal in the League. He scored in the Cup, but in the domestic championship he struggled to find the goal. The first goal came against Elche, in his 41st game in the elite. What a hit, by the way.

And he needed to see the goal in San Mamés, in front of his fans, and he did so on a night in which his brother Iñaki also scored. Williams thus became, by the way, the fourth official sibling legend to score in the same Athletic game. After Belauste, Arieta and Salinas, Williams took over and they have done it in two games: Rayo and Almería. And the ones that stay, by the way. The next brothers to repeat may be the Guruzeta, but this, for the next few weeks.

I don’t want to bring up the World Cup issue, but since we’re dealing with goals, let’s see if Williams scored in the same World Cup event. It would be good. And in no way replaced Goiko, the last to score a goal in a World Cup in the Athletic key. It was in Mexico 86′ from the penalty spot on the day Butragueño scored four goals against Denmark.

There are those who wish, Athletic fans, that Nico Williams is doing ‘badly’ at the World Cup. And in fact they say this in a positive key, because it does not stand out and there are no siren songs. It gives me that, even though he didn’t have a good World Cup, Nico’s poster is more appetizing.

After the “brown” of Iñigo Martínez and the dismissal of Bingen Arostegi, the extension of the contract of Nico Williams that ends in 2024 is the next challenge for the board of directors of Jon Uriarte. And it wouldn’t matter on any other Thursday.