A mural dedicated to Athletic Club star Nico Williams has been vandalized once more, just six hours after it was fully restored in the Lutxana neighborhood of Barakaldo. Photos circulating on social media show the painting defaced with blue spray paint covering Williams’ face, alongside an offensive phrase reading “Rata de mierda” (“F***ing rat”).
This incident follows a previous act of vandalism on June 21, when the mural was first defaced. In that case, the attacker erased Williams' face and replaced it with a message in Basque: "Whether you leave or stay, you've lost respect."
The original artwork was created by street artist Carlos López, who spent around 10 hours and €900 of his own money to complete it. After the first attack, López restored the mural with support from Athletic Club, which covered the cost of materials and logistics. The restored version was unveiled just hours before this second defacing occurred.
Following the first restoration, Nico Williams and several of his teammates—including Iñaki Williams, Unai Gómez, and Unai Núñez—expressed their gratitude on social media, highlighting the mural’s importance to their Basque identity and upbringing through Athletic’s youth academy in Lezama.
The repeated vandalism appears to be fueled by ongoing speculation about Nico’s potential transfer to FC Barcelona, which has caused frustration among some Athletic fans. His release clause is reported to be €58 million, and Barcelona have been strongly linked with a summer move.
Athletic Club responded to the earlier attack by reaffirming their support for the player and condemning the disrespect. They described the mural as a symbol of the club’s values, especially following the team's recent Copa del Rey triumph—its 25th title, in which both Nico and Iñaki Williams played key roles.
No comments:
Post a Comment