La Liga is facing a resounding scandal, specifically its president, Javier Tebas, after reports confirmed by Catalan newspapers that he was directly involved in ruining Nico Williams’ transfer to Barcelona.
Everyone was surprised by Williams’ decision to renew his contract with Athletic Bilbao for 10 years, despite having previously reached an agreement with Barcelona on all the details. The newspapers then revealed that the player had requested guarantees for his registration, which Barça refused, so he preferred to remain in the Basque Country.
According to Miguel Galán of the Spanish Football Federation, Tebas leaked Barcelona’s difficult financial situation to Athletic Bilbao, prompting the club to place the documents in plain sight of Williams’ entourage.
Tebas did not stop there; he even put more pressure on Williams’ agent directly, convincing him that Barcelona’s economic situation was not good and that he should request additional guarantees for his client.
With the documents and pressure from Tebas, the agent immediately acquiesced and asked Barça to include a clause in the contract allowing Nico to leave for free if his registration failed.
After Barcelona’s management rejected the idea in both form and substance, and after family pressure, Williams decided it was best for him to stay with Bilbao. He also had the potential to leave last year for more than €90 million, thus giving the Basque club a significant financial benefit.
Tebas does not enjoy a close relationship with Barcelona or Real Madrid. The Blaugrana’s crisis is due to Financial Fair Play regulations, unlike the problems with Real Madrid, which stem from direct personal disagreements with President Florentino Pérez.
