Overview

• Artist Carlos López invested ten hours of work to accurately restore Nico Williams’s portrait, using the original artwork as a guide.
• Athletic Club de Bilbao swiftly condemned the anonymous vandalism as disrespectful to both the player and the club and financed the €900 in materials and labor.
• The defacement followed reports that Williams intended to trigger his release clause to join FC Barcelona.
• Plans are now underway to expand the mural in Lutxana with portraits of other Copa del Rey–winning teammates as a broader tribute.
• From his holiday in Mauritius, Nico Williams acknowledged the restoration with a heart emoji on Athletic Club’s social media post.