Many at Barca have accused Nico of using their interest to secure a pay-rise at Athletic. After weeks of speculation, Nico turned down Barca and signed a new deal with Athletic to 2035.
Inaki said this morning: "It was a bit complicated at a family level, because there was a lot of talk about my brother, and many of the things said about Nico are false. The only thing he did was stay silent.
"Everyone has the right to reflect on their future. At many points this summer, people weren't fair to my brother. When someone goes to a restaurant and they bring them a menu, sometimes it takes them minutes to choose. My brother's decision wasn't easy."
And he added: "Nico's maturity was incredible. He had so many options before him, and he chose Athletic, a club that is making great strides and that today has one of the best squads since I've been in the first team, which is 12 years."