Barcelona achieved a great victory over Valencia with a score of 5-0 in the quarter-finals of the Spanish King’s Cup, and joined the list of teams qualifying for the semi-finals after the completion of the quarter-final matches.
Real Sociedad reached the semi-finals after defeating Osasuna, Real Madrid qualified after defeating Leganes, and Atletico Madrid advanced after defeating Getafe. The semi-final draw will take place on Wednesday, February 12, at the headquarters of the Spanish Football Federation.
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According to information from the Spanish newspaper “El Nacional”, in an unexpected development within the Barcelona camp after qualifying for the semi-finals of the Spanish King’s Cup, Yamal, Pedri, and Raphinha submitted a special request to coach Hansi Flick, demanding the return of Spanish goalkeeper Iñaki Peña to the starting lineup. This collective request came after it seemed that Peña had been marginalized within the team following the coach’s decision to exclude him.
The story began with Barcelona’s match in the Spanish Super Cup against Athletic Bilbao, where Peña was late to attend the lecture that preceded the match. This led to his exclusion from the squad, and the Polish Szczesny was relied upon as the team’s starting goalkeeper from that moment on. Since then, Szczesny has become the team’s first-choice goalkeeper, even in Spanish King’s Cup matches, despite Peña’s solid performances in the matches he played.
In tonight’s match, after qualifying for the semi-finals, the Catalan trio noticed the sadness of their colleague Iñaki Peña, who sat away from everyone and did not participate in the celebrations with the team. Peña, who has performed brilliantly this season, clearly felt wronged by his exclusion from Flick’s calculations despite his exceptional form.
In a moment of sympathy for their colleague, the trio went to coach Flick, demanding that Peña be given another chance to participate in the upcoming matches. They assured him, “We want him to participate with the team again because he deserves this opportunity.” Despite Szczesny’s impressive performances in goal, Peña has had several outstanding performances this season, earning the respect and appreciation of his teammates who believe he has earned his place.
