Latest news with #InakiPena
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
FC Barcelona Shockingly Puts Captain Up For Sale
FC Barcelona President Joan Laporta has effectively put its captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen up for sale according to RAC1, which cited anonymous sources. The German missed most of 2024/2025 thanks to a serious ACL rupture suffered away at Villarreal in September, which resulted in the Catalans bringing Wojciech Szczesny out of retirement as back up. Inaki Pena soon became Hansi Flick's number one choice, but disciplinary and punctuality problems at the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia at the turn of 2025 resulted in 'Tek' taking over the reins and playing a key part in Barca's eventual domestic treble win. Ter Stegen returned as that campaign drew to a close, but the future of the goalkeeping department isn't clear. Barca looks to be closing in on Espanyol's Joan Garcia who became a breakout star last term in La Liga, while Szczesny looks set to extend his one year contract. With Pena also still on the books, that's at least four men for one position without mentioning American prospect Diego Kochen. While there have been rumors that Garcia would be bought and then loaned out to another Spanish club such as Valencia, which doesn't make much sense, RAC1 reports that President Laporta told the board on Thursday night that they trust in the Espanyol 'keeper's 'yes' and 'want to get rid of the German goalkeeper' i.e. Ter Stegen. If true, this is a major plot twist at Can Barca, with Ter Stegen an 'untouchable' for a decade since winning the Champions League against Juventus in the capital of his homeland Berlin back in 2015. Basically, it is Laporta allegedly saying in public for the first time that if Garcia comes, Ter Stegen must go. This will be music to the ears of a certain corner of Barcelona fans that have been behind a 'TerStegenOut' campaign on X, formerly known as Twitter, which has made a point of using such a hashtag as often as possible. With a contract until 2028, however, Ter Stegen is under no obligation to move on and could anger some even more by refusing to leave. By offloading Ter Stegen, FC Barcelona would free up money to go after Marcus Rashford and also have the much-needed space it needs to stay on the right side of Financial Fair Play by getting his salary off the payroll.
The Star
15-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Soccer-Barcelona claim 28th LaLiga title after 2-0 win at Espanyol
Soccer Football - LaLiga - Espanyol v FC Barcelona - RCDE Stadium, Cornella de Llobregat, Spain - May 15, 2025 FC Barcelona's Inaki Pena, FC Barcelona's Dani Olmo, FC Barcelona's Andreas Christensen, FC Barcelona's Gerard Martin and FC Barcelona's Gavi celebrate after winning LaLiga REUTERS/Albert Gea BARCELONA (Reuters) -Barcelona secured their 28th LaLiga title on Thursday when they beat city rivals Espanyol 2-0, securing an unassailable seven-point lead over second-placed Real Madrid with two games left to play. Following a 4-3 loss at Barcelona on Sunday, Real needed to win their final three games and hope the leaders didn't earn more than one point in the same period to maintain any mathematical chances of claiming the title. However, their slim title hopes were dashed when Lamine Yamal curled a superb shot into the back of the net in the 53rd minute, with Fermin Lopez securing the victory by striking a loose ball inside the box five minutes deep in stoppage time. The result moved Barca to 85 points, seven ahead of last season's champions Real, with Atletico Madrid third on 70 points. It caps a remarkable first season at Barca for coach Hansi Flick as his side have won the LaLiga and Copa del Rey double. (Reporting by Fernando KallasEditing by Christian Radnedge)
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Barcelona can clinch the La Liga title if it beats Espanyol
Barcelona's goalkeeper Inaki Pena warms up prior to the a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Espanyol at Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort) BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona can clinch its 28th Spanish league title with a victory at Espanyol on Thursday. The Catalan club leads Real Madrid by four points and just needs two points from its final three games of the season. Advertisement Hansi Flick's team virtually ended Madrid's title defense when it beat its top rival 4-3 on Sunday, making it four of four clasico victories across all competitions this season. Madrid's victory over Mallorca on Tuesday impeded Barcelona from winning the title without playing. Espanyol needs to get a good result from the derby as it hopes to stay out of the relegation battle. ___ AP soccer:
Khaleej Times
27-01-2025
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
Flick praises Barcelona's spirit after 7-1 win over Valencia
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick hailed his side's commitment as they ended a four-match La Liga winless streak with a 7-1 hammering of Valencia on Sunday. Goals from Frenkie de Jong, Ferran Torres, Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, a double from Fermin Lopez and an own goal saw Barcelona demolish Valencia, with the German coach stressing the importance of the depth of his squad. "The players showed fresh legs. They were in the game and did a great job. I liked my team's performance," Flick told a news conference. "It's not a problem for me to have so many quality players to choose from. It's good. Everyone was impeccable and very committed throughout the game," added the coach, who made five changes in the match. He also hailed Lopez, whose brace and two assists were key to the win. "He played a fantastic game, he was very good on the ball and he finished very well." The Barcelona manager praised Wojciech Szczesny after the Polish goalkeeper was again preferred to Inaki Pena after also starting in their stunning 5-4 win at Benfica that booked their place in the last 16 of the Champions League. "It is a difficult situation for Inaki Pena," admitted Flick. "We always compare what Inaki or Szczesny bring to the table. It's not a debate, they're both good. It's a feeling... and we have to make a decision. I think it was right for him to play." Barcelona next face Atalanta in the final match of the league phase of the Champions League on Wednesday and host Alaves in La Liga on Sunday.
