Athletic Club star complains of Spanish Supercup in Saudi Arabia – ‘It’s like playing away from home’

Athletic Club forward Inaki Williams has bemoaned the hosting of the Spanish Supercup in Saudi Arabia, claiming that it is not a level playing field. The Basque side went down 2-0 to Barcelona on Wednesday night, and thereafter Williams made his feelings known.

In both semi-finals, Jeddah saw largely one-sided crowds turn out in favour of Barcelona and Real Madrid, with Mallorca and Athletic reduced to a few hundred traveling fans.

“In spite of having a number of fans here, it was like playing away from home. It’s a shame, because such an attractive game like this, if it was played closer to home, would have been filled with a lot of our fans.”

“It’s a shame that we have to play hundreds of kilomtres away from our fans and our families. For me, it makes no sense that we go to play in Arabia, but well, football is like this now. It’s a shame.”

He also opined on the CSD granting Barcelona an injunction to have Dani Olmo and Pau Victor registered temporarily, after their licences were revoked at the January deadline.

“Like all fans of football, I was surprised. It seems like the rules are not the same for all of us. We’re not the ones who have to decide, and the ones who do so, will have their reasons. But we’re still very surprised.”

“The image of Spanish football is stained by it, because it has caused a lot of division. I’m happy for Dani Olmo and Pau Victor. It’s a very difficult situation for them, all they want to do is play football, so in that sense, as a professional footballer, I’m happy for them.”

Williams’ complaints were joined by frustrations from Mallorca, after they were goaded, taunted and harassed on their exit from the stadium. Family members of the Mallorca players were touched without their consent by local Real Madrid fans, and the Bermellon support was not given security between the stadium and their transport.