On Monday, May 13, Iker Muniain formally said goodbye to Athletic Bilbao, its stadium and its people. There were almost thirty thousand people in the Nuevo San Mamés to entertain a prodigal son, who played 559 games, scored 75 goals and won three titles. Dressed in a black suit and white shirt, accompanied by his family, by the directors, by the coaches he had in his fifteen years at the club, by a team dressed in jeans and t-shirts with batons from the Basque institution, he said “if ever “You need me here right now, I’ll be there the next day.” 35 days later, Muniain spoke again. This time as a free player.
He did it in Brand, a Spanish newspaper. The journalist’s first nine questions focused on the Athletic Club universe, on his much-mentioned goodbye, on his life decisions, on his aspirations, on his memories, on his rest, on the honesty of seeking decent endings. The tenth consultation does not talk about the Basque club but about its future, not only about its future but about its affiliation, closeness, flirtation with what could be the second shirt of his career: River Plate.
Muniain had already spoken about River. He did it after he said goodbye to the Basque club. The Spanish press did not ask him about his career prospects, but rather the question pointed out his destiny. “It is true that, on these occasions, many comments and rumors are heard, I have always stated publicly that I really like that club, but it is a new period for me. A market opens and I will try to put the cards on the table and decide in the best way possible. Wherever I go, I hope to be happy and contribute all my football and experience to the club. “I can’t imagine jumping to San Mamés with another shirt.”
This time, the journalist insisted on the possible fate of the man born in Pamplona 31 years ago. “I put Iker Muniain in Google, something very modern, and obviously the celebration comes up, but River Plate comes out.” In his response, the footballer does not avoid his predilection: “Yes, River Plate is a team that I have always followed, since he was little, for many years. Taking away Athletic, which is the team of my life, I feel something special towards River, a great emotional and sentimental bond.. I’ve said it many times”.
“Are you so seduced by the idea of appearing there at the Monumental?” he asks. Muniain’s assessment now is more elusive: “It is one of the options that I consider, that attracts me. As we all know now that I have made the decision, it is very broad. I already said at the time that being able to play in the Spanish League and in Europe was completely ruled out. I wanted to live an experience that was as different as possible from what I had already experienced throughout my career. Within that market there are several leagues that attract me. The MLS is also an interesting league, which attracts me the competition format they have, the staging, the attention to every detail, that show that the Americans have and that has allowed them to grow. Above all, there is also a player like Leo Messi, who magnifies everything he touches. It is a very attractive league. I have also followed the Saudi Arabian league a lot, where we have Cristiano Ronaldo, who we all also know as Leo Messi, the magnitude he has. I was very surprised by the passion of the Arabs for their teams, something I was unaware of and it is what has impacted me the most. How they have opted for football, the number of players who have played in Europe and who are world class, who have opted to go to that league. It is another of the destinations that we contemplate.”
He rules out continuing in European football, he talks about River but also about the MLS and Saudi Arabia, two markets with which the millionaire institution cannot compete because it is not, paradoxically, so wealthy. Muniain offers himself and enables his football horizons. He says that wants to live sports experiences that surprise him. “And Argentina?”, José Félix Díaz, the interviewer, asks him again. “We also consider it, where I only and specifically only consider the option of River Plate for everything I have told you. I have also followed her for a long time. I consider it to be a very competitive league, with passion for football and with a football culture that the Argentines have, the fans, the passion they have in each stadium is spectacular. There is also the Copa Libertadores involved, which is a cup that is very, very desired by everyone.”
In the first section of the report, he clarifies that although he intended to end his career at Athletic, “situations arise and things are changing in sports.” “I want to continue enjoying football, competing and feeling important,” he emphasizes. Muniain’s desire to play for River is evident: he expressed it when he was an Athletic player, he repeats it when he is free. He speaks, now, with admiration about the passion of Argentine soccer, about his desire to play in the Copa Libertadores, about how he feels an emotional bond with River. Now it’s up to the leadership.
Ignacio Villarroel, second vice president of River, was the only leader who spoke about Muniain with the press: “A player of such stature is never disposable.. Muniain is a player of the highest level, who has already demonstrated his love for River by escaping from the Bilbao camp to the Bernabéu to watch the Libertadores final. He is working on the market.” If there was any contact, any conversation to find out about financial claims or to direct his arrival, little is known.
River assumes an uncomfortable position. It seeks to reinforce this market with a goalkeeper to stimulate competition with Franco Armani, a central defender to consolidate the defense and cover the already confirmed departure of Héctor David Martínez, a forward who can fight for Miguel Borja’s position and a dynamic midfielder to fill in the gap left by Nicolás de la Cruz. The hiring of a footballer with Muniain’s characteristics was not in his plans: in that revulsive midfield position he already has Claudio Echeverri, Manuel Lanzini, Esequiel Barco, Franco Mastantuono and he will recover Gonzalo Martínez in approximately two months.
Even another obstacle would be the availability of quotas for foreigners. Today there are five non-EU players on the squad: the Chilean Paulo Díaz, the Uruguayans Agustín Sant’anna, Sebastián Boselli and Nicolás Fonseca, and the Colombian Miguel Borja. With the probable arrival of Paraguayan striker Adam Bareiro, the quota would be completed and there would be six foreigners on the squad, of which only five can sign a team sheet in the matches. Although, it is rumored that the nationalizations of Paulo Díaz and Bareiro are advanced, which would allow the incorporation of another non-Argentine player.
But, at the same time, to put together the list of footballers available to play in the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores, only five modifications can be made. Felipe Peña Biafore, returning from Lanús, would be the first. Who could the other four be? Jeremías Ledesma, the Cádiz goalkeeper that River could buy to compete with Armani, Germán Pezzella, Adam Bareiro and Iker Muniain?
We will have to see what the River leadership and coaching staff plan in their reinforcement strategy: whether to hire a footballer of the caliber and validity of Iker Muniain at the cost of not reinforcing positions that they consider priority and of accumulating players with similar characteristics. “This is being a slightly different year, with the uncertainty of what my future will be,” said the Spanish footballer. I try to keep time in the best way. Let’s see what happens”.
