For failing to honour his words and promises, Ezquerro will make Athletic's president walk the plank, if only he had his way.


The transfer windows have shut right in the face of FC Barcelona's player, Santi Ezquerro. The player is not happy with the final turn of events in the last few days leading to the end of the transfer season, as, after high hopes were in the media of his imminent move away from Barca, nothing eventually happened. Hopes were so high that at a point, Ezquerro himself demanded that Barca officials should speed up his transfer talks, after failing to get a free transfer. But all that has ended with a bitter Ezquerro absolving Barca of any blame in his failed transfer, crashing down heavily on the new president of Athletic:

Athletic's president disappointed me. There was an offer to return to Athletic on the table right up until the final transfer day and when I decided to accept on Friday afternoon, the president offered me different conditions to the ones we had agreed. I turned down some good offers, including one from Osasuna, to sign for Athletic, but I have been tricked. I had too much faith in his words, but wouldn't blame myself for that. I always felt that people of such high standing would keep to their words. I guess I have been proved wrong.

Athletic's new president, as understood, promised that he would sign Ezquerro if he won the election, but that never happened. The new president turned his back on the Barca player. Ezquerro, while reacting to the development, was disappointed and downcast as well as showing great displeasure in the ungentlemanly behaviour.


Ezquerro also revealed that the reportedly slippery Athletic president also leaked news of his signing to the press in a bid to win more votes, and the Barca player again, burst the bubble on Macua offering him money to state in the press that he would sign him as part of his election strategy. Ezquerro turned down the money.

If I had accepted the money, I would be playing for the president and not for Bilbao. I always have strong commitments to the clubs which I play for, so such inducements will not have helped me if I had accepted it and eventually signed for the club.

On what will be of his futre, Santi replied:

I will remain in Barca and continue to play here. In December, when the market opens again, I will look for a good solution then. I will try to do my best over the next few months, but I know that it is very difficult because of the strong competition here.