Everyone is familiar with Athletic Bilbao's policy.
The club only plays Basques or natives of the northern part of the country.
Over the years, the senior team is based on the players in the youth department in order to maintain an identity, and when there is someone who really stands out above all others - they are guarded fiercely, with the best example being Inaki Williams.
The 27-year-old striker is without a doubt the most expensive jewel that Bilbao has today, and at a time when the age of symbols is disappearing from the map of the industry, he has long since become a local king.
His power in Bilbao is impressive, first of all in light of the fact that he is the son of immigrants (a derogatory father, a Liberian mother) who fled poverty and civil wars on the Black Continent.
As the first black player to score a goal at the club, Inaki made the locals open their heads when it comes to accepting foreigners, and realize that they have something special in their hands.
Another way to understand the cult around him at Sun Mames is the contract he signed with the club in the summer of 2019 - for nine years, until he was 34. While many thought it was a curiosity, he was the happiest person.
"All that matters to me as a footballer is to make this club as big as possible," he said.
"The club gambled on me when I was young and I have no plan other than to wear the Athletic shirt. I came here as a kid and I want to leave as a legend."
Against Seville.
According to him, a thing will be settled, Photo: IP
This season Inaki won another reason, really good, to stay at Bilbao, after whoever might be going through it, his younger brother Nico, was promoted to the senior team and playing alongside him.
Once in a while Inaki records another chapter on his way to becoming the same legend.
In October, he broke the all-time La Liga record of all-time consecutive games, joining for the 203rd time in a row for more than five years.
Injuries and crises, he went through it all, but was not willing to give up any game.
While other fine players who have grown up at the club, such as Xavi Martinez, Under Herrera, Americ Laporte and Coffee (the most expensive goalkeeper in history) have been looking for a way forward - Inaki are only concentrating on trying to bounce Bilbao itself one step further.
Even when his name was often linked with the move to the Premier League, nothing matured, because according to his associates, he just did not want to leave.
Celebrating with Marcelino.
Bilbao wants a second consecutive final, Photo: AFP
"We work hard"
Professionally, Inaki is the man who determines what Bilbao's face looks like.
When he's good, she's good.
This year he scored five goals and twice cooked in La Liga (Bilbao in ninth place after 21 games) and except for a draw against Espanyol, every time he was recorded in the statistics - Bilbao won.
In his less-than-good games the team gets stuck, and Marcelino, who stands on the lines for exactly a year, needs to be creative to find solutions or try to continue to improve our senior player.
"The coach gives me confidence. We work hard to try and raise our level."
Last year in the Super Cup final, Inaki was the man who brought Bilbao the prestigious title with a huge winning goal against Barcelona.
Tonight against Atletico Madrid, who are in a bad season so far, he will once again be the man to whom most of the looks, both of his teammates and of the Colchoneros, will be directed, perhaps on the way to another chapter in the legend's story.
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