Barcelona secured their place in the final of the Copa del Rey after defeating Atlético Madrid 1-0 at the Metropolitano Stadium, setting up a fiery final against Real Madrid in Seville.
According to information from the Spanish newspaper ‘‘El Nacional‘‘, it is not expected that Barcelona will introduce many new players or surprises in their lineup for the upcoming matches. Hansi Flick will rely on the starting lineup he is accustomed to in crucial games, with the only exception being the player who will not be available: Dani Olmo due to injury.
As a result, Inaki Peña now knows that he will not have the chance to play again, even in the Copa del Rey, which is considered a less important competition compared to the Champions League and La Liga. Despite his good performances during the period when he covered for Marc-André ter Stegen due to injury, he ultimately could not keep his place in the starting lineup and found himself surpassed by the Polish international goalkeeper.
The already tense relationship between him and Flick has further complicated things, especially after the disagreement between them. He was punished for being late to a discussion session before the match against Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish Super Cup semi-final, which forced him to accept a substitute role. Inaki was dissatisfied with this punishment and complained to the German coach, stressing that he was not being treated the same as the other Barcelona players.
Inaki pointed to the case of Jules Koundé, who had been late several times but remained a key player, while he himself was excluded from the lineup. However, Inaki’s protests did not satisfy Flick, who decided to take a firm stance against him.
As a result, Inaki has decided that the best option for him is to leave Barcelona in the summer, having firmly rejected the idea of signing a new contract with the club. Since his contract runs until 2026, Joan Laporta and Deco intend to sell him during the upcoming summer transfer window.