Athletic Bilbao’s first ever black captain Williams proud to represent African immigrants
Athletic Bilbao’s first-ever Black captain, Iñaki Williams, expressed deep pride in representing immigrants in Spain and directly challenged the far right on Tuesday, following rare anti-migrant unrest that shook the country.
Williams, 31, along with his younger brother Nico, are key figures at the club, which traditionally fields only players born or raised in the Basque Country, a region spanning northern Spain and southwestern France. Born in Bilbao to Ghanaian parents, Williams has openly shared the harrowing journey his family undertook.
He recounted how his parents crossed the Sahara Desert on foot, with his mother even climbing over the dangerous border fence between the Spanish exclave of Melilla and Morocco while pregnant with him.
Reflecting on becoming Athletic Bilbao’s first Black captain after Oscar de Marcos’s retirement and amid a surge in far-right support, Williams told reporters, “It means a lot. Destiny is destiny. If it were not for my parents, I would not be here, nor Nico.” He added,
“We are lucky to be able to represent many people who come from outside to earn their daily bread, and be a reference… it’s important for us.”
Earlier this month, Spain was gripped by an intense immigration debate following three nights of violent clashes between far-right groups and residents—many of North African descent—in the southeastern town of Torre Pacheco.
The far-right Vox party, which has been gaining ground in recent polls, capitalized on the unrest after a 68-year-old pensioner claimed he was attacked by three men of North African origin. Vox has also called for the deportation of all irregular migrants, as tens of thousands continue to arrive annually on Spanish shores via boats from Africa.
Commenting on the political climate, Williams stated, “It seems that the far right is in fashion. We who have a voice will try to keep working, to continue silencing mouths and keep tearing down barriers.”
Looking ahead, the Williams brothers are poised to play crucial roles in Athletic Bilbao’s domestic league and Champions League campaigns. Notably, Spain international Nico Williams, 23, recently turned down reported interest from Barcelona to sign a new long-term contract with the club.
Source :Farai Diza