Athletic Club president Jon Uriarte has this weekend spoken out against the recent criticism being directed at the club’s players, in particular Nico Williams.
Uriarte took his place in front of the crowd at Athletic’s latest Members’ Assembly on Saturday.
During as much, a whole host of topics were put to the Spaniard, not least the recent boos and whistles directed at the Basque outfit’s players.
And Uriarte did not hesitate in hitting out against the supporters responsible for as much.
With star winger Nico Williams having been the subject of particularly heavy criticism, Athletic’s president vented:
“The greater the enthusiasm, the more important it is to manage expectations. We know that in football, you can go from hero to pariah one day. This can happen at other clubs, but not at Athletic. These unjustified boos directed at the players and coaching staff in the opening minutes of a match are completely unacceptable.”
Uriarte, in quotes cited by Foot Mercato, continued:
“I’m referring to the booing, admittedly discreet, but very real, directed by a minority at our players and staff. It’s unacceptable. We need to be patient, but for this booing to be justified, the situation would have to escalate far beyond what it is currently. Some players are playing despite pain and other issues.”
Conor Laird – GSFN
