“Iñaki is the iron man,” they say from the sports city. They claim that the 25-year-old goalkeeper did not seem to be very affected when he saw Szczesny’s arrival. The procession went inside. Trained at La Masia, Peña knows very well what it means to be under pressure. He also knows the feeling of having to go away to grow.
It was in January 2022 when the goalkeeper asked to temporarily change Barcelona for Türkiye. He had been the third goalkeeper of the first team for two and a half seasons. He trained alongside Ter Stegen, Cillessen or Neto but he did not play. And he learned a lot in Türkiye with Domènec Torrent’s Galatasaray. In March of that same year, Peña made his debut at the Camp Nou. But with the Galatasaray shirt. He didn’t concede a single goal and Barça decided to get him back. Last year was important after Ter Stegen’s injury. But he did not finish the course satisfied. He played 17 games and conceded 33 goals. Still, he never considered leaving.
Peña is one of the first to arrive at the sports city to train
Persistent and demanding like few others, Peña is one of the first to arrive at the sports city to train. He has a quiet life in the home near the sports city that he shares with his partner. He doesn’t like to go out. He is discreet and hardworking. It represents everything Flick holds dear.
Maybe that’s why the German coach had a talk with him. He told him that, after Ter Stegen’s injury and, despite the arrival of Szczesny, he was the starting goalkeeper. It was only up to him to maintain that position.
After Ter Stegen’s injury and, despite the arrival of Szczesny, Flick told him that he was the starting goalkeeper.
Until arriving at the Bernabéu, Peña had kept a clean sheet three times. But showing some insecurities when getting the ball out. The conversations with Iñigo Martínez or Cubarsí after the games showed that he needed a turning point.
Szczesny on the bench
He found it in the white fiefdom. Kylian Mbappé will have nightmares about him. Also in the first half he gave Bellingham a colossal hand, although the play was ruled out due to offside. His teammates knew that Iñaki needed a night like this. They hugged him and congratulated him. Flick also did it in public and in the locker room. He is glad that he did not make a mistake in his bet.
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“I am very grateful to Flick,” explained Peña, who speaks English well after his time in Türkiye. He has a contract until June 30, 2026. And an important accomplice in the Barça sports area to renew him. This is Deco, another of those who insisted that he not stop in his efforts to succeed.
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