Athletic squad await meeting with Uriarte amid deepening rift | OneFootball

According to El Correo, Athletic’s squad are awaiting a meeting with president Jon Uriarte this week after days of unrest that stretch beyond the scrapping of players’ ticket allocations. The relationship has been strained for some time over measures introduced at Lezama.

Iñaki Williams and Unai Simón spoke in Vigo to stress the dispute is not only about invitations. Simón framed it as an accumulation of internal disagreements over roughly four years, adding the squad would pay for tickets if needed.

He also widened the focus, saying issues affect club employees and the women’s team, and that sitting down to talk is the right step.

Sources close to the dressing room describe a cool, distant rapport with Uriarte, with a perception he surfaces mainly to relay demands or cuts rather than build day-to-day rapport.

Decisions around staff welfare have jarred. The right to eat for free at Lezama was removed for some workers, first hitting academy coaches two years ago and, this season, staff linked to the first team. Players even considered a kitty to cover the cost.

The women’s side have also lost match invitations, and there have been changes to the catering provision they receive at Lezama.

The immediate flashpoint was the removal of player invitations, communicated to the squad by general director Jon Berasategi. Discontent stemmed from the decision and how it was delivered. A requested meeting with Uriarte before the Barcelona trip did not happen, he did not travel to Barcelona or Vigo, and the players skipped post-match media in Catalonia before apologising and setting out their stance in Vigo.

Source: El Correo

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