– This is a very nice present for my mother, said Nico Williams after the Spanish victory against Italy in the EC on Friday. It is not without reason that Williams Jr, as it says on the kit, thanked his mother when he was named the best on the pitch for Spain on Friday. For large parts of the match, the left wing played havoc with the Italian defence. He hit the cross which eventually ended in an own goal that secured Spain the win. – As soon as I picked up my mobile after the match, I listened to the message I had received from my brother Iñaki, he said at the press conference after the match. BROTHERS: Iñaki Williams and Nico Williams play together at Athletic Bilbao. Photo: Reuters Big brother Iñaki Williams (30) is Nico’s great role model. They are both professional soccer players. Both have caps for Spain. The two play together for parent club Athletic Bilbao. – He has always given me unconditional support. This award is also for him, for my parents and for the Williams family, and I hope they enjoy it as much as I do, said Nico. Because the family has overcome major obstacles on the way here. That the brothers would become footballers and icons in Spanish Athletic Bilbao was completely unthinkable when the parents set out on a dangerous journey in 1993. The secret story 31 years ago, the Williams parents Maria and Felix decided to flee Ghana in search of a better life. In an interview with The Guardian in 2021, older brother Iñaki tells the story of his parents. The story he first got to tell himself when he was 20 years old, and had broken through for La Liga club Athletic Bilbao. CAPTION: Iñaki Williams made his debut when Aritz Aduriz (right) was injured in 2014. This picture is from 2016. Photo: Afp – When my mother told me the story, I was completely cold, he said. He tells of how his parents crossed the Sahara desert barefoot – without food or water. – I knew that my father had problems with his feet, but not that it was because he had walked barefoot across the Sahara sand, which held 50 degrees, said Iñaki. Pregnant on the run On the run, the mother was, unbeknownst to her, pregnant with him. She climbed over the ten-metre-high fence at the Moroccan border with Melilla – Spain’s North African enclave. THE BORDER: This is what the border between Morocco and Spain’s North African enclave of Melilla looks like. Photo: AFP They were arrested after crossing the border. But in prison they met a new helper from a Catholic aid organization, who told the parents their only chance was to lie and say they came from a country at war. – They tore up their Ghanaian papers and said they were from Liberia to apply for political asylum. It worked, and thanks to him (from the aid organization), we got to Bilbao. Bilbao, of all places in the world, Iñaki said, laughing. Despite the fact that the journey ended in the Basque Country and Bilbao, challenges still awaited, which have shaped the brothers into who they are today. SAN MAMES: The Williams brothers have subsequently provided unforgettable experiences for Athletic supporters at their home ground in Bilbao. Photo: Reuters Became an extra father In 2002, little brother Nico was born, and soon after the father went to London to find work. He stayed there for a decade. Mother Maria had two or three jobs at the same time. – We suffered a lot, says Iñaki, according to the BBC. Iñaki almost became a father to Nico. Athletic Bilbao’s sporting director Mikel González tells the BBC. – Iñaki had a very hard life when he was young. He knows his responsibilities, so he can be seen as a superhero. At least his mother does, he says. At the age of 20, Iñaki made his La Liga debut for Athletic in 2014. Life was completely changed when the son was able to support the whole family, and the father moved home. FIGHTING: Iñaki Williams has been a rock for younger brother Nico Williams. Photo: AFP Little brother enters the scene Iñaki Williams has played for Athletic his whole career. He has over 400 appearances for the club, and holds the La Liga record for most consecutive appearances with 251 matches. Little brother Nico went the same way. From the academy all the way up to Athletic when in 2021, aged 18, he made his debut in La Liga. – As an older brother, it makes me incredibly proud to see how he has grown, and to see how he has developed as a footballer. He doesn’t have a ceiling, Iñaki told the BBC. DEBUT: Nico Williams got his first cap for Spain in the Nations League match against Switzerland in September 2022. Photo: AP This season he has taken La Liga by storm, and has the most assists with 14 in 31 games. He made his debut for the Spanish national team in 2022, and has become a fixture in Luis Enrique’s team. – The truth is that I am incredibly proud to be here and play matches like today. I want to continue to develop, said Nico after Friday’s match and continued: – And I also want to thank all my teammates for the warm welcome I received in the dressing room. Everyone applauded me when I entered. PRAISE: Nico Williams receives praise from his teammates after the own goal he provoked against Italy on Friday. Photo: AFP – A fantastic story Petter Veland has followed Spanish football closely for a number of years and works as an expert at Viaplay. He is well acquainted with the story of the Williams brothers, and highlights another element: – It is a fantastic story. Those brothers have helped to overcome what have been major racism problems in that part of the country, says Veland to news. Iñaki was the first black player at Athletic, according to ESPN. Athletic have a signing policy that means they can only sign players from the Basque Country. EXPERT: Petter Veland works for Viaplay and follows Spanish football closely. Photo: Viasat – They are proof that you can be Basque even if you are dark-skinned, says Veland and adds: – When they perform as they do and are idolized in the stands, they become the power of example in that respect. He emphasizes how big the brothers’ profiles are in Spanish football. And says that Nico’s achievements in the European Championship testify to an international breakthrough. – They are very large. They are becoming one of the best pairs of brothers to ever grace Spanish football. GREAT TALENT: There is speculation about the performance of Nico Williams against Italy in the EC on Friday. Photo: AFP Wanted player According to several credible media, Nico is wanted by major clubs in both the Premier League and La Liga. But so far he seems to be enjoying himself in Bilbao. In December, he signed a contract extension that binds him until 2027. – I am so happy in Bilbao. I have signed a new contract and played well last season. I feel at home there, but I don’t know what to do. Nobody knows what the future holds, he said on Friday. KINGS: Iñaki Williams, Nico Williams and teammates celebrate victory against Atlético Madrid in the semi-final of the Copa del Rey in February. Photo: AFP Iñaki emphasizes how much his parents’ history has meant to both him and Nico, and how they have become as people and footballers. While Nico is already flourishing for the Spanish national team, and fighting to win European Championship gold, older brother Iñaki decided in 2022 to represent the Ghanaian national team. – Hearing your parents’ story makes you want to fight even harder to give back everything they sacrificed for us. I can never pay them back – they risked their lives – but the life I’m trying to give them is the life they dreamed of giving us, he told The Guardian and concluded: – And in a way we can say: “We’ve made it the”. This goal was canceled for offside 00:20 Commentator against beer-throwing: – End 00:16 Chance bonanza in Netherlands – France 02:10 Reacts to mask suggestion: – No, no, no! 00:46 Show more Published 24.06.2024, at 17.02
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The mother fled barefoot and pregnant through the Sahara – Football EC 2024
