Athletic: squad stayed silent, now says it was a message

The Athletic Club squad decided to stay silent at Camp Nou during the game vs Barcelona, citing what they described as an “internal problem with the club.” As MARCA reports, the idea was to send a clear message to the club’s leadership after the matter continued unresolved.

Silence as a signal

In comments brought back after the match, Unai Simón addressed the decision and apologized for the silence. He said: “we wanted to meet with the president before the Barcelona match and it couldn’t be done,” adding that “not speaking was a tool to send a signal to the board and the president.”

Simón stressed that the aim is to clarify “small details” that have built up over seasons and that affect club employees and players from the women’s team. He said it isn’t just about hospitality/entries—“we knew it could be interpreted as only that”—and even stated that if tickets needed paying, they would be paid. What they want to talk about is “other things” they want to settle.

Pending meeting with the board

MARCA also notes that Simón said the relationship with the directors is “good,” but that they need to “say what we think and then we’ll know everything,” separating professional matters from personal ones.

Captain Iñaki Williams added that the group joined a protest by other club workers and that there is a meeting pending with the club board. The goal, he said, is to resolve “small conflicts” so that Athletic can keep aiming high.

Williams also pushed back against the idea that it’s just about invitations, insisting it’s not a “childish tantrum.” He argued that the only way to raise their voice for staff and the women’s team was to make that stand, with the hope that things can be fixed in the coming days.