La Liga president Javier Tebas has spoken out about Athletic Club’s complaints regarding Barcelona’s interest in Nico Williams.
[The Basques are unhappy that Barca are planning to activate his release clause](https://www.barcablaugranes.com/2025/6/26/24456461/athletic-club-issue-statement-meeting-la-liga-discuss-nico-williams-potential-transfer-to-barcelona) as they think the Catalan giants are not within the 1:1 rule.
Athletic have met with La Liga to discuss the matter, and Tebas has now had his say.
> “Athletic Club is complaining because FC Barcelona has publicly stated, if the statements attributed to Deco are true, that it wants to sign a player,” he told EFE Deportes.
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> “According to FIFA regulations, he is in a protected period, and we don’t have the authority to interfere in that. What we will do, as we have always done, is ensure that FC Barcelona will have to comply with the regulations to sign players, be it Nico Williams, Haaland, Messi... whoever it may be. And we won’t change anything.”
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> “Athletic Club de Bilbao doesn’t have to make any comments; it’s our obligation to address any concerns regarding Financial Fair Play.
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> “We are transparent. We don’t reveal clubs’ financial situations in depth, but it is known because there was a division meeting in February in which the reasons for the salary caps were explained, and the situation at FC Barcelona was explained, because we had the ‘Olmo case.”
Tebas was also asked about Barcelona’s financial situation and whether they are back under the 1:1 rule.
> “I’m not saying this, the president of FC Barcelona said it, they’re not under the 1:1 rule. I hope they’re under the 1:1 rule as soon as possible, as I hope all clubs are,” he added.
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> “But as I always say, FC Barcelona knows what it has to do to be under the 1:1 rule because the regulations are already well known.
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> “And Athletic Club also knows what FC Barcelona has to do, because in February we were very transparent so that no one would doubt Financial Fair Play.”
Joan Laporta has spoken about Williams again this morning and has [basically said the club are prepared to pay his release clause](https://www.barcablaugranes.com/2025/6/27/24456980/joan-laporta-quizzed-on-whether-barcelona-will-nico-williams-release-clause).