Athletic Club release statement in response to Nico Williams-Barcelona backlash
La Liga outfit Athletic Club have unveiled an official statement, condemning the actions of a group of the club's supporters this weekend.
This comes, for those who may have missed it, after the 'fans' in question made clear their feelings with star attacker Nico Williams.
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Wide-man Nico is of course widely understood to be closing on a departure from Athletic, ahead of linking up with La Liga rivals Barcelona.
The two parties, this week, went as far as to thrash out an agreement on the terms of a contract.
News of as much, evidently, did not go down at all well with those of an Athletic persuasion, who on Sunday hit back at Nico in harsh fashion.
Specifically, the 22-year-old saw his image erased from a famous mural in Barakaldo. In its place, the following message was written:
'Joan edo geratu, errespetua galdu duzu. (Go or stay. You have lost our respect).'
And as alluded to above, those behind the scenes at San Mamés have since slammed those responsible for the act.
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In a lengthy message posted across the club's website and social media platforms on Sunday evening, Athletic wrote:
'The dignity of a club is the dignity of the people who make it up and is measured by their capacity to behave in a coherent way with their own values, without falling into provocations or lowering themselves, and always holding their heads high. Respect is one of the fundamental pillars of Athletic Club.
'The summer has just begun and publications about Nico Williams, a player with a contract with Athletic Club until 2027, abound in the media and social networks. Along with them, an endless number of comments and reactions of all kinds. Nico is one of us. A player raised in Lezama, loved in the dressing room and supported by his fans.
'The dignity of a club is also reflected in the way it protects its own people. That is why those who have erased Nico's image from artist Carlos López's mural in Barakaldo do not represent Athletic. And if they think they are part of this family, they should know that they are wrong: to disrespect one of our own is to disrespect Athletic itself.'
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The lengthy statement can be read in full via the link below:
Conor Laird – GSFN
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New York Times
41 minutes ago
- New York Times
Photo moment: Valverde makes it three
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Speaking earlier, Madrid manager Xabi Alonso said: 'Toni has told us something, the FIFA protocol is activated and an investigation is under way. We believe him. It is unacceptable.' It came towards the end of the Spanish club's 3-1 win, with Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler and Fede Valverde scoring the goals after an early red card for Raul Asencio. GO FURTHER Real Madrid's Antonio Rudiger allegedly racially abused by Pachuca's Gustavo Cabral at Club World Cup Connections: Sports Edition Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Getty Images How about this for a photo — Valverde celebrates his goal for Madrid along with Vinicius Junior and Brahim Diaz. A move and a goal well worthy of a look to the heavens. Getty Images What a game! As we digest that match, here's how we rate Real Madrid's players: Courtois: 8. Made some important saves to deny Pachuca. Key in helping them through a few tricky patches. Made some important saves to deny Pachuca. 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Three of them served. Getty Images 89' Real Madrid 3-1 Pachuca Time ticking towards 90 minutes. Pachuca pushing for a goal that would make it an interesting period of added time... Arda Guler as a starter and both Brahim Diaz and academy player Victor Munoz from the bench ahead of Rodrygo Goes today. Getty Images 87' Real Madrid 3-1 Pachuca ...with 21-year-old academy product Victor Munoz brought on to lead the line. As Felipe Cardenas pointed out earlier, Elias Montiel of Pachuca stood out in the clubs' last meeting in December despite a 3-0 loss, earning himself a firm handshake and encouragement from Madrid president Florentino Perez and some of his aides. Today he has a goal against one of the best teams in the world. Nice moment for him. Rudiger back out onto the pitch is great news for Madrid. It's his first game since the Copa del Rey final in late April, and he's just back from a knee operation. 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New York Times
41 minutes ago
- New York Times
And what is the tournament format?
The incident, which occurred in stoppage time, overshadowed Real Madrid's first win of the 2025 Club World Cup Getty Images Antonio Rudiger was allegedly racially abused by Pachuca captain Gustavo Cabral in Real Madrid's 3-1 Club World Cup win earlier today. Rudiger alerted referee Ramon Abatti to the alleged comment during second-half stoppage time and the match official subsequently performed FIFA's protocol gesture to signal alleged racial abuse. Cabral denied making a racist comment, saying after the match: 'It was a fight, we collided, he said that I hit him with my hand and then there was an argument and the referee made the sign of racism. In Argentina we say 'cagon de mierda' (a profanity used to call someone a coward) all the time. I told him the same thing.' Rudiger's representative says the Madrid defender rejects Cabral's explanation. The Athletic has contacted FIFA for comment. 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Lots of Real Madrid fans around! Getty Images I thought Vinicius Junior had a poor game in Real's opener against Al Hilal. He was way below his usual level and was well marshalled by Joao Cancelo throughout. Interested to see how he gets on today. Chances are he'll be up against Luis Rodriguez, who is 34 and likely won't be able to match him for pace... Getty Images Just one change from Alonso for Madrid's second game of the tournament. In comes Arda Guler, who impressed after entering at half-time against Al Hilal on Wednesday. Out goes Rodrygo Goes, who had a quiet game, after missing the end of the season back in Europe. The Real replacements are below. Real Madrid substitutes: Lunin (GK), Fran Gonzalez (GK); Vazquez, Rudiger, Jacobo, Youssef, Fortea, Aguado, Modric, Ceballos, Martin, Chema, Brahim Diaz, Rodrygo, Munoz. Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso has made one change to his starting line-up from the tournament opener. Gonzalo Garcia keeps his place due to Mbappe's illness. Real Madrid (4-3-3): Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Asencio, Huijsen, Fran Garcia; Valverde, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Guler, Gonzalo Garcia, Vinicius Junior. Getty Images Real Madrid have released their XI nice and early. Getty Images Clearly lots of logistical challenges in making sure the field is ready for play in sweltering conditions like these! Getty Images Little more than six months after Premier League champions Manchester City finally grabbed the Champions League success they craved in 2023, they added the world title to their list of honours. Pep Guardiola's team were triumphant in the final running of the Club World Cup in its original format, hosted two years ago by Saudi Arabia and featuring seven teams — the champions from each FIFA confederation, plus Saudi Pro League champions Al Ittihad as hosts. As UEFA's representative, Man City had a bye to the semi-finals where they beat Japan's Urawa Red Diamonds 3-0. Julian Alvarez then scored after just 40 seconds of the final, as the Premier League side beat Brazil's Fluminense 4-0 in Jeddah. Now they get to defend their crown. GO FURTHER Manchester City are world champions on the pitch – whatever people say about them off it The Athletic The Club World Cup could just as easily be considered the Confederation World Cup, given the legacy of each football continent sending its best team into global battle. And generally, the European team has come out on top. The above shows how 20 years of the tournament breaks down in terms of geography and performance, with a UEFA club in the final in all bar the first running of the competition. In that edition, Real Madrid finished fourth and Manchester United were knocked out in the group stage of the 2000 edition in Brazil. That is why CONMEBOL has more top-three finishes in total. Mario Cortegana/The Athletic A lot of Real Madrid supporters waiting for the team bus to arrive at the Bank of America Stadium and for the gates to be open. Some of them are enjoying barbecues around the stadium. The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is a little different with 32 teams competing — when the previous 20 editions never brought together more than eight clubs each. Still, the legacy of those early years will continue and a host of famous names will be looking to add to their previous victories. Here are the most successful clubs in this competition's history: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 Real Madrid (2014, 2016-18, 2022) (2014, 2016-18, 2022) 🏆🏆🏆 Barcelona (2009, 2011, 2015) (2009, 2011, 2015) 🏆🏆 Corinthians (2000, 2012), Bayern Munich (2013, 2020) (2000, 2012), (2013, 2020) 🏆 São Paulo (2005), Internacional (2006), Milan (2007), Manchester Utd (2008), Inter (2010), Liverpool (2019), Chelsea (2021), Manchester City (2023). Can Real Madrid win a record-extending sixth title this summer? Getty Images FIFA president Gianni Infantino is not listening to critics of the Club World Cup — hardly a surprise given all the money the organisation has thrown at it. There have been early hiccups but he believes that's down to the novelty of the competition in its reworked first year. He said: 'Maybe some criticise it a little bit, but it's something new. It's something special' when speaking on a small stage at Fanatics Fest in Manhattan this weekend. Something tells me cynics of the competition are going to need a bit more convincing than that. GO FURTHER FIFA president Gianni Infantino hits back at Club World Cup criticism: 'It's something special' Getty Images Wow, what a beautiful day for it. It looks pretty hot out there though! Getty Images It's never a good thing to see: a game on hold because of inclement weather which poses a threat to fans and players. We have already seen a few suspensions of play during this Club World Cup due to chaotic summer weather in the US and all the signs point to this being an early indicator of what is to come next summer when the World Cup heads Stateside. Hopefully the weather will not impact any of today's matches after four matches being affected by weather-related delays in four days. Whatever happens, the extreme weather will likely mirror what we'll see at the men's World Cup in 2026. GO FURTHER Expect Club World Cup delays to repeat next summer, says weather chief While we wait for the action to get underway, let's jog our memories on how the Group H table is looking after the first round of games. Group H FC Salzburg — 3 points (+1 goal difference) Real Madrid — 1 point (0 goal difference) Al Hilal — 1 point (0 goal difference) Pachuca — 0 points (-1 goal difference) It's all still to play for today. Can Real Madrid take top spot? Getty Images What a ride it has been for Pachuca coach Jaime Lozano. The 46-year-old was deemed the saviour of the Mexican national team when he was given the top job in 2023. Lozano led Mexico to the Gold Cup title that summer, but that honeymoon ended a year later. Lozano was fired after Mexico crashed out of the Copa America in the group stage. After nearly a year off, Lozano is coaching in a Club World Cup with Real Madrid his next big challenge. Mario Cortegana/The Athletic These tournaments are all about the shared experience — and we would love to hear from you throughout this Club World Cup. Be it a comment, observation, prediction, a question you always wanted answered, or something completely different, we welcome it all. Email us at live@ and have your say. We're already looking forward to reading what you've got for us.
New York Times
44 minutes ago
- New York Times
Another Asencio mistake
The incident, which occurred in stoppage time, overshadowed Real Madrid's first win of the 2025 Club World Cup Getty Images Antonio Rudiger was allegedly racially abused by Pachuca captain Gustavo Cabral in Real Madrid's 3-1 Club World Cup win earlier today. Rudiger alerted referee Ramon Abatti to the alleged comment during second-half stoppage time and the match official subsequently performed FIFA's protocol gesture to signal alleged racial abuse. Cabral denied making a racist comment, saying after the match: 'It was a fight, we collided, he said that I hit him with my hand and then there was an argument and the referee made the sign of racism. In Argentina we say 'cagon de mierda' (a profanity used to call someone a coward) all the time. I told him the same thing.' Rudiger's representative says the Madrid defender rejects Cabral's explanation. The Athletic has contacted FIFA for comment. Speaking earlier, Madrid manager Xabi Alonso said: 'Toni has told us something, the FIFA protocol is activated and an investigation is under way. We believe him. It is unacceptable.' It came towards the end of the Spanish club's 3-1 win, with Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler and Fede Valverde scoring the goals after an early red card for Raul Asencio. GO FURTHER Real Madrid's Antonio Rudiger allegedly racially abused by Pachuca's Gustavo Cabral at Club World Cup Connections: Sports Edition Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Getty Images The second match with a fatal intervention by Asencio. In the first one against Al Hilal he conceded a penalty and this time he has been sent off in the eighth minute. Getty Images 9' Real Madrid 0-0 Pachuca It was a silly error from Raul Asencio. Real Madrid were playing a very high line and right-back Luis Rodriguez swung a through ball over the top and into Salomon Rondon's path. He was onside, played on by Garcia, with Asencio caught the wrong side and sprinting back desperately to recover. Rondon cleverly took his run across the 22-year-old, who couldn't resist the temptation. He grabbed the shirt, put his arm on the striker's back, who gratefully took the contact and went down. Foul, and as the last man and denial of a clear goalscoring opportunity, he is off. Right decision, even if there wasn't loads of contact. Then Palavecino bends the free kick narrowly over the bar! Getty Images 7' Real Madrid 0-0 Pachuca Drama! Raul Asencio is off! He cannot believe it and is staying on the pitch for now but eventually has to trudge off the field. Real Madrid are in trouble in Charlotte... A lot of attention on Salomon Rondon for Pachuca, but it's also great to see Kenedy playing at this level, too. He's had a strange career: the Brazilian was a star as a kid at Fluminense, never really cut it at Chelsea and went on five different loans before finally being solid to Real Valladolid in Spain. He joined Pachuca on loan last month. Somehow, he's still only 29. 4' Real Madrid 0-0 Pachuca Nice from Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose cute footwork sees him sidestep an opponent and then burst beyond Rondon. A clear, cynical tug back of the shirt. Foul, but no yellow card. Alexander-Arnold isn't happy. And I can see why. Getty Images 2' Real Madrid 0-0 Pachuca Wow! Real Madrid nearly behind! Pachuca play it through to Salomon Rondon, the 35-year-old Venezuelan veteran up front, but Raul Asencio does well to sprint back. He can only scuff it out for a corner. It's well worked, blockers on the six-yard line stopping any defenders getting to the ball as it's aimed towards Rondon on the penalty spot. He's got loads of space to volley it first-time, and it looked to be going in before a deflection took it narrowly wide! Getty Images 1' Real Madrid 0-0 Pachuca Brazilian on Brazilian! Real Madrid's press is fearsome so early on, Gonzalo Garcia nearly reaching an underweighted back pass, but Carlos Moreno just about scrambled it away. Real won it back, Bellingham into Vinicius Junior, who tested Eduardo Bauermann down the outside... but Eduardo got his body in the way really well and bumped his compatriot so the ball went out for a goal kick. Getty Images We are officially up and running in sunny Charlotte! Real Madrid searching for their first win under new boss Xabi Alonso. Pachuca looking for an almighty upset. Let's go! The players are now walking around the flat black strip separating them to shake hands before the match. Pretty good crowd for a Sunday, to paraphrase Billy Joel, inside Bank of America Stadium. Getty Images Player walk-outs underway. Cannot believe Real Madrid are wearing thick black jackets considering the searing heat here in North Carolina. The last thing you want on. Not long at all until kick-off. The countdown is on. Getty Images Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso spoke to Anita Jones on DAZN before the match. Here's what he had to say. 'After the draw in the last game, we know that in this sort of competition this one is a must-win game,' Alonso admitted. 'We have tried to prepare, focusing on the positives from the last game. 'It's going to be intense but for sure the goal is to get three points. Now we're focusing on this Club World Cup. A few things have changed, but the goal is the same, to go as far as possible. 'Not many changes (to the starting XI) but we want to have a good balance, with and without the ball. We want good control, we have got good feet, so we and we don't want them to lose the ball easily and make plays.' Getty Images Real Madrid have a job to do tonight against Pachuca but you can't blame them for looking beyond the group stage at their potential opponents in the knock-outs. Both the Spanish giants and German club Borussia Dortmund are on the same side of the draw meaning that, depending on where they finish in their respective groups, they could meet down the line in the knock-out phase. If that happens, we'll be treated to a meeting of Jude and Jobe in a Bellingham brothers clash as the latter began his Dortmund career with his debut here at the Club World Cup. Could they both end up at Real Madrid one day? GO FURTHER Mamelodi Sundowns 3 Borussia Dortmund 4 – Did Bellingham impress on full debut? Was Ribeiro's the goal of the tournament? Arda Guler's inclusion in the Madrid XI pretty clearly related to how Madrid struggled to control possession and construct moves against Al Hilal. As they have ever since Toni Kroos retired last summer. Various pundits have pointed out that Guler had more interventions (55) in the play than Bellingham (52) in Wednesday's first Club World Cup game, even though Guler entered at half-time and the Englishman played 83 minutes. A question at yesterday's press conference about whether Xabi Alonso the coach would like to have Alonso the player available to him, was dodged with characteristic intelligence by the new Madrid coach. 'The challenge now is for the midfield to function well with the players we have,' he said. When asked if there was 'anxiety' to play better at Madrid after the 1-1 opener, the Basque replied: 'I've not seen that, I've seen people wanting to improve and to participate in the process of doing things differently with new ideas.' Getty Images FIFA gave its 32 competing teams a billion reasons to take a revamped Club World Cup seriously when announcing its monstrous prize pot back in March, with a potential $125million for the winner. The empty seats at many stadiums, and patchy quality of the football, may have sparked some barbed comments, but to the clubs involved, this is a brand-building moment and a chance to spark growth. 'I know first-hand the clubs competing in the Club World Cup are hugely supportive of it. They see it as a major opportunity,' Phil Carling, head of football at marketing agency Octagon, tells The Athletic . 'Talent follows money, eyeballs follow talent, and money follows eyeballs.' This Club World Cup, for all its detractors, is a big step towards more. That's why the tournament matters to the participating clubs. Getty Images At least sartorially. A vibe. There is a former Premier League cult hero spearheading Pachuca's attack. At the ripe old age of 35, former West Bromwich Albion, Newcastle United and Everton striker Salomon Rondon is still banging in the goals in Mexico, having joined Pachuca in early 2024. With 22 league goals since joining — 14 this season — Rondon is comfortably the leading goalscorer in the Pachuca squad and is showing no signs of stopping. In truth, Pachuca are not coming into the tournament in red-hot form. After just three wins in the first half of the 17-game regular season, Pachuca battled to eighth spot in Mexico's Liga MX Clausura (second half of the season) to make the play-offs, before losing against Club America in the quarter-final. Realistically, Pachuca will not be expected to qualify from such a tricky group this summer, especially after losing their tournament opener, but do not be surprised if Rondon manages to get on the scoresheet somewhere along the way. Kylian Mbappe is still ruled out through illness for Madrid, but there is good news on the bench. Centre-back Antonio Rudiger, who last played in the Copa del Rey final on April 26 and then had a knee operation, is back available. Getting him back out on the pitch would be really useful for Xabi Alonso, especially further into the tournament, given how shaky the defence looked in the opener against Al Hilal. It would also potentially open up other tactical options, such as playing with three centre-backs.
