Iñaki Williams, the 31-year-old player from Athletic Club, was named captain of the team. In his first press conference, he was asked what it felt to be the first black person being captain of the Basque club, and stood firmly as an example to fight against racism, saying that "far right is fashionable".
"We can represent the many people who come from abroad to earn their daily bread. Being a reference not only in the Basque Country, but also in Spain, is important to us. Both Nico and I are from very humble backgrounds, and we believe that what people come here to do is good for everyone", he said.
Williams added the names of his Athletic Club teammates Adama Boiro (born in Senegal), Álvaro Djaló, and Adu Ares (with parents from Guinea-Bissau). "It seems the far right is in fashion, so those of us who have a voice will try to keep working to silence mouths and break down barriers", Williams added.
Iñaki, whose parents came from Ghana after crossing the Sahara on foot and jumping the Melilla border fence, is also the older brother of Nico Williams, and both play at Athletic Club. The rise to stardom of his 23-year-old brother, one of the better known players from the Spanish national team (Iñaki plays for Ghana), caused Nico to be heavily linked to FC Barcelona. However, the Basque club ended up convincing Nico to stay in Bilbao and signed a new contract until 2035.
Iñaki defended his younger brother, who had to endure a "media campaign", directly pointing to FC Barcelona, which led to harassment (including breaking his car) coming first from angry Athletic fans who feared he would leave, and then from angry Barcelona players when he announced he would stay.