"No, I knew I had a contract, and then I renewed it. The club already had the intention of renewing my contract to let me go out on loan. This was their idea from the beginning because they didn't want to lose me, and they also wanted to keep me on their books. From there, on a personal level, the sooner it's done, the better, but in the end, they convey that to you, and you obviously have a contract and have to accept that situation. There's nothing else you can do, and it hasn't hurt me in any way afterwards."
"Well, no. The coach always tries to defend whoever is playing at the time. It's very difficult to appear before the press every two or three days. When someone plays, you have to make them feel important because they are in the position to play. I never felt underappreciated, either personally or in terms of my football skills. Not by the coach, not by my teammates, and not by the club, to be honest."
Inaki Pena, 26, is on loan at Elche while maintaining a strong emotional connection to Barcelona and a clear ambition to return and fight for a place. Barcelona's recruitment of additional goalkeepers created limited opportunities, prompting a club-agreed loan designed to preserve his contract and provide playing time. Pena says the renewal-and-loan arrangement was the club's plan and that he accepted it without feeling mistreated. He emphasizes that coaches support whoever is playing and that he never felt undervalued by Hansi Flick, teammates, or the club during the process.
Read at Barca Universal
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