Spain Brothers Inaki and Nico Williams brought the Copa del Rey to Bilbao, ending four decades of trophylessness.
On 6 April, the Williams brothers, Inaki and Nico, all started the Copa del Rey final between Bilbao and Mallorca. They helped Bilbao draw 1-1 after 120 minutes, then win 4-2 on penalties. It was their first major trophy (counting only the European Cup, La Liga and Copa del Rey), and Bilbao’s first major trophy in 40 years.
The Williams brothers as children and after winning the King's Cup on April 6 in Seville, Spain. Photo: Instagram
Football has seen many successful brothers. The Koemans won Euro 1988 together, before becoming coaches and assistants to take the Netherlands to Euro 2024. The De Boers won the Champions League in 1995 with Ajax, then reached the semi-finals of the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000. Filippo Inzaghi won two Champions Leagues and three Serie A titles, while his brother Simone Inzaghi won one Serie A title and is now a top coach. However, the Williams brothers are a special case. Inaki was the first player of African descent to make a name for himself at Bilbao, a club famous for its policy of only playing players born or raised in the Basque Country (Spain). His brother Nico is also on the same path.
Inaki and Nico were born to immigrants from Ghana in West Africa. In 1994, while pregnant with Inaki, Maria and her husband Felix left the country in search of a better life. They walked barefoot across part of the Sahara to the Spanish enclave of Melilla in northern Africa, crossing the border fence but were detained by the civil guard. On the advice of a lawyer, they successfully entered the country by lying that they were from war-torn Liberia and asking for political asylum. They received crucial help when they met Father Inaki Mardones at the Abando railway station. The priest found them an apartment and took them to the hospital where Inaki, who was named after his benefactor, was born.
Settling in Spain was initially difficult. Mario and Felix took on any job they could find to make ends meet. Felix even moved to London for better opportunities, including a job as a ticket checker at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge stadium. Inaki also contributed to the family finances by refereeing football matches early on, before his talent was enough to support his father and bring him back to Spain.
Inaki (right) celebrates scoring in the 4-2 win over Barca in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals on January 24 at San Mames. Photo: AP
"We suffered a lot," said the 29-year-old winger. "Thank God we are all here now and have a really good life. My parents are seeing their son develop and that's why they came here. Everything we do is for our parents."
Inaki came to Bilbao's attention a few years ago, joining the youth team at the age of 18. Two years later, he made his first-team debut and after 10 years of continuous playing time, he played 414 games and scored 95 goals.
Nico joined Bilbao's academy at the age of 12. He has played for the first team for just three seasons, scoring 18 goals in 115 games. "Nico is very fast. He is even more skillful than his brother," said former Bilbao coach Gaizka Garitano.
Bilbao's native-born policy dates back to a dispute over the use of English players in the 1911 Copa del Rey. The Spanish Football Federation then decreed that players had to be Spanish the following season. Disgruntled with this, Bilbao went further and only used players born in the Basque Country, later expanding the rule to include players of Basque descent or raised there.
Through perseverance and dedication, the selection of players from a population of around three million has brought success to Bilbao for nearly 100 years. In Spanish football, Bilbao have won more titles than Real Madrid and Barca. They are also one of three teams never to have been relegated from La Liga.
However, when money became the deciding factor in football 40 years ago, Bilbao began to decline. The use of players with Basque roots meant that the San Mames side gradually lost out on trophies. It was the children of African immigrants, like Inaki and Nico, who became the new driving force for Bilbao.
On their journey to the Copa del Rey this season, Bilbao beat Barca 4-2 in the quarter-finals and crushed Atletico Madrid 4-0 on aggregate in the semi-finals. Inaki and Nico both scored in those victories.
In addition to ending four decades of title drought, Bilbao are also chasing a Champions League spot. They are currently fifth in La Liga with 56 points after 30 games, just two points behind fourth-placed Atletico Madrid. If they continue to play well in the remaining eight games, including a crucial match against Atletico Madrid, Bilbao could well make the top four and return to the Champions League.
Nico (center) played in the friendly match Spain 3-3 Brazil on March 26 at Bernabeu Stadium. Photo: Xinhua
Unlike the Koemans, De Boer and Inzaghis, the Williams brothers differ only in that they do not play for the same national team. Inaki chose Ghana, while Nico was called up to Spain. In 2022, they will even play in two different World Cups.
Nico has more international promise than his brother. The 21-year-old striker has played 13 times and scored twice for Spain in just two years. This summer, Nico is likely to join Spain at Euro 2024 in Germany. According to media reports, both Barca and Chelsea are keeping an eye on Nico.
Thanh Quy (according to BBC )
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