Iñaki Peña: "I will give my all to achieve a good result"

Goalkeeper Iñaki Peña addressed the press this Thursday at the Martínez Valero, ahead of the match between Elche CF and FC Barcelona in the eleventh round of LaLiga EA Sports. The goalkeeper, who came through the ranks at Barcelona, acknowledged that the game will be special, but insists his focus is solely on the Elche team.

Reflecting on his return to the club where he spent many years, the goalkeeper shared his excitement: "Returning to a place where you've spent so many years and been so happy is very special. Reuniting with teammates and friends with whom I've spent so much time will be quite special for me."

Nevertheless, he wanted to emphasise his commitment to Elche, making his professionalism clear: "It's a club with which I have a contract, to which I belong, but now I am on loan and 100% committed to this team to play a good match. We are capable of doing things well and we must be brave and competitive."

The goalkeeper also commented that once the match begins, the emotional component will be set aside: "At the moment of the match, I will focus on my work and give my all to achieve a good result."

Regarding the team's physical condition, Peña explained that the team has managed to handle the efforts of recent days well. "The training loads we have are quite similar to a match. Yesterday, with the result we had, we were able to manage the loads better and it wasn't a match where we were too challenged," he noted.

On how to stop Barça's attack, he was clear in his approach: "We know the potential they have up front, but we have to focus 100% on our work and approach it like any other match, without considering who is in front of us. We will try to be ourselves, be brave, and try to take the ball away from them so they don't feel comfortable."

The Elche player also assessed the context of the opponent, who arrives after their defeat in the Clásico against Real Madrid. In his opinion, "it's a double-edged sword. You can never know how a defeat might affect a team. We are fully aware of what we are facing, as they are one of the best teams in the world." He added: "During a season, it's impossible to be at 100% all year, and in the end, losing is normal."

To conclude his appearance, the goalkeeper expressed confidence in the team's possibilities: "All those factors must be turned into positives for us, to empower us and give us more chances to win. If we are inspired that day and do things well, we can try."

After addressing the media, the Elche squad returned to work at Díez Iborra, in a recovery and preparation session under the direction of Eder Sarabia. John, Víctor Chust, and André da Silva, who are in their respective recovery processes, did not participate in the training. The rest of the group trained normally, showing intensity and good feelings ahead of one of the most demanding matches of the season.