Not for 17 years had two brothers scored for the same team in the same LaLiga match before Iñaki and Nico Williams did it for Athletic Club last year. The two siblings found the back of the net in an eerily similar way – bursting in behind before cooly sliding home a finish – and have pushed each other to new heights in the 12 months since.
By Graham Ruthven
The Williams brothers have been the driving force behind a resurgent Athletic Club team currently in the mix for a top four finish. Between them, they have registered 11 goals and eight assists in LaLiga this season, spearheading an attack that is now considered one of the strongest in the Spanish top flight.
Athletic Club signed off before the winter break with a run of five wins from seven league games. They have scored more goals at home than any other team in LaLiga this season, making San Mamés a fortress, and are averaging over 14 shots a game – only Barcelona, Real Madrid and Sevilla are averaging more.
Ernesto Valverde’s team haven’t lost a match in La Liga since October and have lost just three matches in total this season – to Barcelona, Real Madrid, and regional rivals Real Sociedad. The 2-0 win over Atlético Madrid before Christmas saw Athletic Club produce their best, most complete performance of the campaign – Atleti were fortunate to only lose by two.
Nico netted a stunning strike in the victory over Diego Simeone’s men, highlighting the way his game has developed this season. The 21-year-old’s talent has been clear for some time. He made his league debut as a teenager and received his first call-up to the Spain squad at just 20 years old. Now, though, Nico is adding consistency to his performances.
This is something that evaded Iñaki for years. He too made his LaLiga breakthrough at a young age, but struggled to take the next step in his development. Iñaki recorded 13 combined goals and assists in only his second full league season for Athletic Club, but wouldn’t achieve those sort of numbers for another three seasons.
There were flashes of brilliance from Iñaki – like the solo effort against Sevilla that won 2018/19 Goal of the Season, and the extra time winner, against Barcelona in the 2021 Spanish Supercopa final – but they were too few and far between for him to be considered one of the world’s best forwards. The consistency just wasn’t there.
As the junior of the two brothers by eight years, Nico has Iñaki to look to for inspiration – but also for caution. The pair are at different stages of their careers with Iñaki (29) in his peak years and Nico (21) still relatively green in his development. While Iñaki is an Athletic Club icon, he has likely missed the chance to reach an even higher level. Nico could surpass his brother’s achievements.
An interesting aspect of Williams brothers’ dynamic as siblings is in the way Nico’s emergence has settled Iñaki. The older brother has embraced his role as a mentor – see how Iñaki told Nico to put his runners-up medal back around his neck after the 2022 Spanish Supercopa final – and that has helped him achieve a higher, more consistent level in his own game – Iñaki is on course for the most productive season of his career.
That’s if he stays at San Mamés for the full campaign. Iñaki has been linked with Aston Villa who are reportedly keen to add the 29-year-old to their squad in January. Nico is also believed to be on the radar of both Barcelona and Real Madrid who both view the 21-year-old as one of the best young talents in Spain.
For the time being, though, Iñaki and Nico embody the energy of Valverde’s Athletic Club. The pair have electrified the Basque team, and the home crowd at San Mamés which had lost its fervour until this season – the stadium is once again one of the most daunting in La Liga for away teams to visit, as Atleti recently found out.
Iñaki (Ghana) and Nico (Spain) play for different national teams, with the former off to AFCON later this month, but Athletic Club is the unbreakable footballing connection between them. The Basque club famously cherishes its native roots, only fielding players from the region, and their two best players have a particularly strong bond in more than one way.
(Images from IMAGO)
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