Once again, something that was taken for granted in the world of soccer has had a completely unexpected outcome. In this sport, whether on the field or in the offices, nothing can be taken for granted until it's 100% confirmed. Because Nico's deal was done, or at least that's what all parties involved were saying, the player wanted to come and the club wanted to sign him. What could go wrong? Well, when money matters more than anything and you have the right agent to play both sides, any deal can fall apart. The younger Williams will stay in Bilbao for a few more years, where they're proud to have kept a player who, in the end, has only managed to get a pay raise at the cost of turning his own fans against him. Truly, a gem.
In Barcelona, as expected, the way the Navarrese winger acted has felt like a kick in the lower abdomen. It's no wonder. Not just because Nico fit perfectly into the culé system, being the missing piece to build a dream attack, but also because of how damaged Barça's image is, as for the second year in a row the same footballer has exposed it. Let's not fool ourselves, the situation has little or nothing to do with what happened 12 months ago. The younger Williams has once again left the club led by Jan Laporta in the lurch, but this time, the scenario after the player's refusal to come is much less dramatic than it was a year ago.
The disappointment among culé fans may even be greater than what was felt the first time. This time, it seemed that only a tragedy could blow up the deal. The truth is that after Nico's first "no," the club was left deeply affected. With only Dani Olmo joining, the team led by Flick was left short in attack, trying to face Real Madrid, which had strengthened itself—significantly so—with the arrival of Kylian Mbappé. The club had just finished a trophyless season, said goodbye to Xavi's project just two and a half years after it began, with all the uncertainty that entailed. As if that weren't enough, a more than worrying economic situation did not exactly inspire optimism.
A year later, the scenario is completely different. Nico has once again exposed Barça, but in this case, the blaugrana team has just won a domestic treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey, and Supercopa. It has a starting eleven that will allow it to compete for everything next season, with young players who are already established at the top level. It has a coach who has amazed the world with his soccer ideas. Soon, the doors of Camp Nou will open again, putting an end to two years of exile in Montjuïc. In addition, as the icing on the cake, the Barcelona club is getting closer to regaining the financial stability it so desperately needs, reaching the 1:1 rule that will allow it to operate normally in the transfer market.
Therefore, it's as true that Nico's refusal to wear blaugrana has been painful as it is that it has little or nothing to do with what happened a year ago. A very different "no" that doesn't cloud in the slightest the widespread feeling that next year could be Barça's year. Let's hope that's the case, that in 12 months we'll be remembering that, once again, after another Williams contract renewal with Athletic, a season to remember arrived for the blaugrana side.