Hi community!
The goalkeeper, on loan from Barcelona to Elche, will play at Montjuíc having established himself as the starting goalkeeper after playing a key role in the first part of last season's league title win for Barça.
Iñaki Peña, the FC Barcelona goalkeeper currently on loan at Elche, will face his former club at the age of 26. He has been with the club since joining their youth academy at the age of 12. This Sunday (6:30 PM) at the Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc, the goalkeeper, who was a regular starter during the first half of Barça's successful season last year, will experience a unique chapter in his career. In his pre-match press conference ahead of this special league game, Peña described his feelings. "I don't hold any grudges, as it's a club I'm under contract with, a club I belong to, and where I've spent a lot of time. But now I'm 100% committed to Elche and ready to play a great game," he declared.
Just to be clear, Peña emphasized that he feels "very grateful to FC Barcelona," highlighting the fact that the club, with whom he extended his contract until 2029 before going on loan, didn't include "the fear clause" that would have prevented him from playing. "It's going to be very special to see myself there wearing another badge," he admitted.
After his third start in goal for Elche, Peña acknowledged that "it's true that in recent matches I've had consistent playing time, which is important for a goalkeeper." "Every player wants to play as many minutes as possible, and although it's the manager who has to decide, I have to be prepared and at 100%," he stressed.
The implications of this match for Peña are obvious, although he has already amply demonstrated throughout his career that his mental strength is one of his most remarkable qualities. "Returning to a place where I've spent so many years is very important, because on a personal level I'll be reunited with friends I've known for a long time, and that will be very special," he said before emphasizing that "you focus 100% on each match and treat it like any other."
Aware of how the Barça dressing room experiences a match after a painful defeat like the one they suffered a few days ago in El Clásico against Real Madrid, Peña warned that this context "is a double-edged sword" for Elche regarding a potential dip in Barça's morale. "You never know what's best. Barça is one of the best teams in the world, and what we have to do is stay strong in the difficult moments and take advantage of the good ones," he said before further contextualizing the match. "They're coming off a week off and I'm sure they've corrected some things, so they'll all be at 100% and they're going to make things difficult for us," he predicted.
See You soon!