Spanish-Ghanaian footballer, Iñaki Williams, a forward for Athletic Club, has anticipated a challenging and intense match against RCD Mallorca in the upcoming final of the Copa del Rey. This forecast comes on the heels of the ‘lions’ securing their place in the final on Thursday, a victory that was cemented through a 3-0 triumph over Atlético de Madrid in the second leg of the semi-final which took place at San Mamés.
Williams expressed his elation in the mixed zone of the Bilbao stadium, stating, “We are brimming with happiness and pride, and our fans truly deserve this victory. Having experienced two finals without an audience due to the pandemic, and having won a Super Cup that we couldn’t celebrate as we wished, we are approaching this final with humility and a low profile. We expect a challenging game against Mallorca, who have earned their place in the final by eliminating Girona and Real Sociedad.”
“We always strive to perform at our best. Today, we were fortunate that things went well, leading to our win and enjoyment of the game,” he said. This was followed by some light-hearted commentary about his family situation. “We have a stronger connection off the field than on it, but we’ve been performing exceptionally well. I received a voice message from them, and despite having poor network coverage, we managed to have a conversation,” he revealed.
“I am beyond thrilled. To my parents, who have done so much for us, dedicating this victory to them feels like the least we can do. Thanks to them, we are where we are today, with the opportunity to make people happy and live our dream,” Williams, the Athletic Club striker, confessed.
“My brother set me up perfectly during the game, and I had to return the favour. I told him, ‘You take it, I don’t want to score.’ Everything went better than we could have dreamed of. We are overjoyed, and the energy in the locker room is palpable. The record crowd at San Mamés today was unbelievable, their support carried us through,” he added.
Williams also took a moment to reflect on last year’s semi-final cup loss against CA Osasuna. “It was a memory we kept close, knowing we would have a tough time. Before the game, I told my brother that in football, there are always opportunities for redemption. Today, you have another chance to remove that thorn in your side. Today, you are going to conquer it and that’s exactly what happened,” he revealed about his encouraging words to Nico.
“The team played extraordinarily well, we practically left no options for our opponents early on. The fans deserved this victory and now we are going to enjoy a fantastic night. Tomorrow, we will begin preparations for our match against Barça,” concluded Iñaki, hinting at the upcoming league match.
