Iñaki Peña and Flick, face to face: the conversation that changes everything in Barça's goalkeeping

The debate over the goalkeeping position has been the major soap opera of FC Barcelona this 2025. Iñaki Peña had been chosen to replace Marc-André Ter Stegen after the serious injury of the German, and the Alicante player had performed well in his role between the posts. However, a 2-minute delay left him out of the Supercopa de España and Wojciech Szczesny has been able to capitalize on his opportunities to take the lead and secure the starting position in goal.

Hansi Flick has reaffirmed the new role of the Pole by stating emphatically that "'Tek' is clearly number one", leaving the '13' in a practically secondary role overnight. In this regard, the newspaper 'SPORT' reported that a few days ago there was a tense conversation between Peña and the coach to clarify his situation in the team and to understand firsthand the reasons that led him to lose the starting position.

According to the publication, the conversation was uncomfortable and did not end with the best feelings between both parties. In fact, the goalkeeper reportedly left the office of the azulgrana coach with the impression that it will be very difficult for him to regain his place as the '1' of Barça during Ter Stegen's absence.

Iñaki Peña reconsiders his future at Barça

During the meeting between Flick and Iñaki, both parties reportedly touched on the topic of the goalkeeper's delay in the pre-match talk during the semifinals of the Supercopa de España against Athletic Club. The player admitted to recognizing the importance of punctuality for the coach, but in the eyes of the German, he lacked self-criticism when addressing other situations that have occurred throughout the season.

For this reason, the German would have invited the player to accept his new reality, and he would have left the conversation with a very bad taste in his mouth. The goalkeeper's despair would be such that sources within the club would claim that he is seriously contemplating his future in the Catalan capital. For now, Peña will continue to work to regain prominence in the first team, but if his situation does not change in the coming weeks, all indications are that he will seek a new destination in the summer.