Spanish forward, Nico Williams, deactivated his social media accounts after receiving a torrent of abuse from fans following his misses in Athletic Bilbao’s elimination in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey.
Despite Athletic winning 1-0 in regulation, Osasuna eliminated them 2-1 on aggregate after a 1-1 draw in extra time at the San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao. Williams missed a couple of great chances to increase the lead in the game, which ultimately proved costly for Athletic.
Late substitute Pablo Ibáñez scored the decisive goal for Osasuna with a volley from the edge of the area in the 116th minute to send the Pamplona club to the final for the first time since 2005.
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Williams’ staff said in a statement on Wednesday that the player decided to deactivate his accounts after “the hard blow of the elimination from the Copa and the subsequent pressure by some users in the form of insults and lack of respect on social media.”
In response, Williams thanked the fans who supported him after the match and following the insults, stating that “We all need to work together to eradicate this type of attitude from social media”.
The crowd at San Mamés was mostly supportive of Williams when he was substituted in the 99th minute, but many later took to social media to criticize him for his misses.
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Several messages were insulting and derogatory. Athletic was trying to reach the Copa final for the third time in four seasons, and the Basque Country club is the second most successful team in the competition with 23 titles, but it hasn’t lifted the trophy since 1984.
Williams’ older brother and Athletic forward, Iñaki Williams, offered his support, stating, “It’s normal for my brother to be upset, we are all upset, we were on the verge of another final and we have been eliminated.
“My brother has a great future and he will be able to learn from this. He needs to lift his head and move on.”
Athletic coach Ernesto Valverde also offered encouragement, stating that “He had two clear chances, but he is a young player and he still has a lot to learn… You don’t know everything when you are 20 years old. He will keep learning.”