Athletic Club's crushing victory under Nico Williams makes a mockery of Laporta's Barça

Nico Williams's contract renewal leaves a trail of far-reaching consequences for Spanish football . To begin with, the Spanish winger's new contract strengthens Athletic Club's project as a top-tier club by retaining one of Europe's best players . The club, led by Jon Uriarte, defended its player, withstood pressure and uncertainty , and convinced Nico Williams to remain with a team that will play in the Champions League next season and could challenge for LaLiga Santander.

The new contract that binds Nico Williams to Athletic Club until 2035, with a release clause of almost €100 million, is a blow to the Spanish football scene and represents a heavy price to pay for anyone who attempts to transfer him in the future. However, at the same time, it opens the door to a possible transfer in the future. The red-and-white club not only manages to secure one of the most coveted players on the European scene (Bayern also wanted him), but also finds itself in an institutional battle against Barça at a time when Joan Laporta's team is coming off the back of winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup.

No Spanish club has been tougher on Barça in recent months than Athletic Club. "There's fatigue. Strange things are happening. People don't know if there will be consequences for the payments to Negreira, a refereeing vice president. Then the influence and registrations , where a political body came into play," its president denounced in a press conference less than a month ago, to justify San Mamés' hostile reception of Barça.

Barça got wet and now they're coming out scalded

Likewise, Nico Williams's snubbing of Barça for the second consecutive summer damages the Catalan club's reputation . Joan Laporta's board leaked rumors left and right that Nico Williams would be a Barça player this season. Despite the fact that the Atlético player refused to sign for Barça last season, when the board couldn't guarantee his registration (and time proved him right with Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor), Laporta and Deco were convinced he would be a Barça player.

The president changed his mind , because the disappointments of last summer were still etched in Laporta's memory. "We are about to make a signing that will be imminent and another whose arrival we are very excited about . The fact that we are 1-1 allows us to sign normally, and we will continue along these lines," Joan Laporta had announced in mid-June. A financial situation, by the way, that Javier Tebas later denied to the media.

Deco, in a recent interview with La Vanguardia , already spoke directly about Nico Williams. "Nico didn't happen last season, although for me the Dani Olmo operation was more of a priority back then. Both Nico and other players today are showing a desire to come. If Nico's circumstances are right, then we'll try," he stated.

Thebes' fault?

The problem is that Barça didn't do its financial homework in time, and it continued to have accounting discrepancies with its auditor (Crowe) over the sale of VIP boxes and the leverage of the 25% stake in TV rights through Locksley Invest SL. Barça wasn't covered by the 1/1 rule and therefore couldn't register Nico Williams. Barça's policy of leaks, which secured his signing, has hit the club like a boomerang and pointed the finger at its board.

Nico Williams didn't want to go through the same ordeal as Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor last season. Barça's lack of salary cap space kept Dani Olmo out of the picture, and only Andreas Christensen's timely injury allowed him to register. In fact, Dani Olmo didn't make his Barça debut until the third matchday of the league season. The only reason the attacking midfielder ended up playing the entire season was due to the political intervention of the Higher Sports Council (CSD).

Has Nico Williams used Barça to obtain a more lucrative contract with Athletic Club? The renewal proves so. That doesn't mean the player, who shares a close friendship with Lamine Yamal , wasn't attracted to Barça. His intention was to play in Barcelona. The problem, however, was the same as last year. Barça couldn't guarantee Nico Williams' immediate registration and wasn't covered by the 1/1 rule, so the player wanted to include a release clause in his contract (the same one Dani Olmo had, which could have caused a financial blow to the club). Barça refused , and Nico Williams remains at Athletic Club.