Barcelona is looking forward to a very busy schedule in the coming period after the end of the current international break.
The German coach understands that passing the upcoming tests in La Liga and the Champions League will put Barcelona on the verge of winning a major title this season.
The Catalan team will top the La Liga table with 24 points after nine rounds of the competition, ahead of its traditional rival Real Madrid by three points in second place.
According to information from the newspaper El Nacional, Iñaki Peña missed a rare opportunity to prove himself at Barcelona and show his readiness to take on a key role.
Last season, he gained a bad reputation due to his irregular performance, as he conceded a large number of goals during the matches he played in the absence of Marc-André ter Stegen.
He could have silenced the critics and proven his worth to gain Hansi Flick’s confidence, but he did not succeed, and the feeling of insecurity continued, prompting Joan Laporta and Deco to make an urgent decision to sign a new goalkeeper without waiting until January to replace the first-team captain, who will not return to play this season.
The newspaper added that Flick proved Xavi Hernandez was right in not considering Peña qualified to be a starter at Camp Nou, as he lacks the necessary level and requirements.
Trust in the dressing room was also limited, as one of his colleagues reported that he recommended signing another goalkeeper and acted as an intermediary to facilitate the agreement.
We are talking about Robert Lewandowski, who did not hesitate for a moment when Barcelona offered to sign his compatriot Wojciech Szczesny, with whom he has an excellent relationship after years of playing together in the Polish national team.
Laporta and Deco chose Szczesny, a former player for Roma and Arsenal, over other options such as Edgar Badía, Jordi Masip, Claudio Bravo, or Keylor Navas.
It has become clear that Iñaki will not return to being a starter at Barcelona, as the club announced the signing of Szczesny, who has begun training under Flick and is expected to make his debut as a starter in the upcoming match against Sevilla.