Athletic Bilbao

Why Barcelona’s Bid For Nico Williams Ultimately Failed

Why Barcelona’s Bid For Nico Williams Ultimately Failed

Barcelona’s much-rumoured pursuit of Nico Williams from Athletic Bilbao came to nothing this summer—and sporting director Deco has now clarified exactly why negotiations broke down, painting a picture both of high expectations and unresolved demands. 

Deco has repeatedly said that Barça were interested in Williams, but that the deal hinged on conditions meeting the club’s standards. One of the sticking points was a request from Williams’ camp for an exit clause: specifically, a guarantee that if Barcelona failed to register him by a certain deadline (Allegedly around the start of La Liga on August 20), the clause would allow him …

Yeray Álvarez handed 10-month UEFA Ban For Doping Violation

Yeray Álvarez handed 10-month UEFA Ban For Doping Violation

Athletic Bilbao defender Yeray Álvarez has been suspended for ten months by UEFA after testing positive for a banned substance during a routine anti-doping check. The test was carried out in May 2025, following Bilbao’s Europa League semi-final first leg against Manchester United.

UEFA’s disciplinary panel confirmed on Monday that Álvarez had returned a positive result for Canrenone, a diuretic listed as a prohibited substance by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Though the chemical is often linked to masking agents, UEFA ruled that the violation was non-intentional.

In its decision, the governing body cited Álvarez’s explanation that he had accidentally ingested …