Currently, FC Barcelona are without their starting goalkeeper, Marc Andre Ter Stegen, who is out with a torn patellar tendon, and is expected to remain out of action for the rest of the season.
Inaki Pena was his replacement in the Blaugrana squad, but the Catalans also took advantage of FIFA and La Liga regulations to bring in Wojciech Szczesny, who had been enjoying his retirement from professional football since the UEFA EURO 2024, to their team.
Now, the two goalkeepers are competing for a starting spot in Flick’s team, and last night, it was Inaki Pena who got the German trainer’s nod. However, as Mundo Deportivo has reported, Pena spoke to the media after the game, and instead of showing any concern about the competition he will face from Szczesny, he expressed a desire to learn from him.
The Spanish shot-stopper made it clear that he was very happy to have the Pole as a teammate: “Szczesny is a great guy, with a lot of experience, especially in the Champions League, and he will help us a lot. We both train at 100% so the coach can give us opportunities.”
“We’ll see what happens in the future. Personally, I am very happy and thrilled to work with him. I’m very grateful to the coach, happy to keep getting minutes on the field.”
For now, Inaki Pena is the selected starter for Flick, as the German coach has already confirmed that he will also start the upcoming game against Bayern Munich. But this will be a crucial game for the Spaniard, as any errors in such a big game can cost him his starting spot.
But as the 25-year-old Barcelona goalie himself commented, Szczesny’s experience can also help him a lot in his career, while the mutual competition between the two will ensure they both perform at their best.
