Former Athletic Bilbao chairman Ettor Elisegi talked about Nico Williams' possible transfer to Barcelona while celebrating his birthday on Ortega's show.
The former chairman, who led the Basque club between 2018 and 2022, severely criticized Barcelona's handling of Nico and expressed his disappointment with changes in Barcelona's values in recent years.
Elisagegi: "Barcelona has been away from the values it once represented. If Nico left, he would go to a place that was not worthy of respect." He believes that Barcelona has been playing the role of "upstart" for many years, losing its uniqueness in history. "Barcelona is no longer unique, far from the one we remember."
When discussing the values that football players should follow in their careers, Elisage concluded in a strong way: "If I were to choose between Demarcos, Irivar or Deco, I would choose the first two."
For the former chairman, legends like Demarcos and Irivar represent the unique identity of Athletic Bilbao. He said: "I would rather choose Demarcos or Irivar than Deko."
Elisage also defended Biba's youth training philosophy: "Nico came here as a kid, we raised him, and it was sad to hear him say he didn't want to stay at Athletic Bilbao. We update our philosophy every once in a while, thanks to players like Demarcos and Ikel Munyain who have excited the fans. It makes us stronger."
"We have one of the most important squads in the past decade, with players at the national level on each line. Valverde has privileges in his hands and is very special for Athletic Bilbao now."