”We are also ambitious about the Champions League, our team has become stronger with the arrival of new young players, it has become the strongest team since I came here.”
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The captain of Athletic Bilbao next season is Inaki Williams. He is proud of this, as he will be the club's first black player to hold the captaincy. At this time, he says, it has become a fashion to hold extreme right-wing ideology. Williams, 31, is one of the first generation of black athletes to be associated with athletics in particular.
Historically, only black players have joined this club. Athletic players must be from the northern Basque region of Spain and its surroundings. Williams and his younger brother Nico were born in the northern industrial city of Bilbao. His parents are also from Ghana. They came to Europe in search of a bright future.
This fact has many meanings. My parents came to Bilbao and gave birth to me 31 years ago. I consider myself lucky, because I am representing a foreigner. Also important is the connection with the Basque region and Spain. We come from a very ordinary family. Moreover, it is great that we can speak so much, because nowadays it has become like a fashion to hold extreme right-wing views.'
He adds, 'We have to have our say. We have to overcome many obstacles and prove others wrong. William brothers are victims of apartheid behavior in Spain most of the time. Both have been playing for Athletic Bilbao since they were teenagers. In the last World Cup, Williams decided to play for Ghana. Brother Nico plays representing Spain.
Nicola is regarded as one of the rising stars of Spanish football. This time there was talk of him going to Barcelona. But in the end he signed a further contract with Athletic himself. Their parents had set foot across the Sahara to reach Spain. They also had to cross the border fence to get from Morocco to Spain. At that time, brother Williams was proud of his mother.
That's why Williams said, "Luck is luck." It was fate that led us here. If our parents didn't make that difficult journey, we wouldn't be here now. Lately, the debate about immigration in Spain is heating up. There, the far-right-wing Vox Party is proving popular. The votes of this party have also increased in the elections.
Vox is also demanding that all migrants who come to Spain illegally should be deported. Even now, thousands of Africans make the arduous journey to Spain every year. On the other hand, this time, this Basque club is playing in the European Champions League for the first time since 2014-015. "Most players like us are playing in the Champions League for the first time, so we are happy." Last season Athletic finished fourth in Spanish La Liga. They were behind big teams like Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid. Williams says, 'We are also ambitious about the Champions League. Our team has been strengthened by the arrival of new young players. The strongest team has been formed since I came here.'
