Brian McDonald
Ghanaian football star Iñaki Williams unknowingly played two years with a two-centimetre shard of glass in his left foot, his coach revealed on Friday.
Williams, who plays football for Spanish club Athletic Club, underwent surgery on Tuesday to treat a painful scar on his left foot. It was then that they discovered a piece of glass embedded in the sole of his foot.
Álvaro Barrientos/AP
During a Press conference on Friday, Athletic Club coach Ernesto Valverde said his player allowed him to tell the story because “it’s worth telling.” He said the 29-year-old had been on holiday two years ago when he stepped on glass, resulting in a deep wound to his foot.
“Iñaki Williams broke a record for consecutive matches and won a Copa del Rey with a two-centimetre cup stuck to the sole of his foot,” said Valverde.
The coach said Williams reported discomfort with the scar and went for treatment after the Copa del Rey final on April 6.
“He had an MRI and he still had a glass stuck to the bottom of his foot,” Valverde said, adding, “The doctor and I started laughing because we couldn’t believe it.”
He said the piece of glass hit a tendon in Williams’ foot.
Williams posted a photo to her Instagram Story on Friday showing the piece of glass that had been removed.
Williams played a record run of 251 La Liga games for Athletic before being injured in January 2023. This season he has scored 14 goals in 39 appearances across all competitions. He helped Athletic Bilbao win the Copa del Rey final against RCD Mallorca alongside his younger brother Nico Williams.
“As an older brother, I’m very proud to see how he’s grown, to see how he’s improving as a football player. He has no ceiling,” said Iñaki Williams. BBC Sport before the Copa del Rey. “I’m here to help you, teach you and give you everything you need.”
Photo by Cristian Trujillo/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images
The brothers opened up in late April about their racist insults they had to endure while playing professionally in Spain – specifically after the defeat to Atlético Madrid on April 27th.
Nico Williams told reporters he was shouted at “monkey” while taking a corner in the first half at the Metropolitano Stadium, the Associated Press reported.
“I heard the sounds of monkeys, but it’s always the same two or three people. We have to keep working on it. I hope one day it stops,” said 21-year-old Nico.
Iñaki Williams said fans jeered and booed his brother after he responded to the incident by hitting his forearm in reference to the color of his skin after scoring a goal.
“They made fun of him every time he touched the ball,” Iñaki said. “I can’t understand this. They’re supposed to mock the attackers, not the victim.”
The Spanish league has failed to prevent repeated acts of racist verbal attacks against players. The first trial against a fan accused of racial abuse in Spanish professional football is awaiting scheduling. Will judge the racist insults that Iñaki Williams received from an Espanyol fan during a 2020 match.
bol co
jogo de terror online
novela sbt ao vivo
wishlist
musica terra seca
taça png
