The real reason behind Barcelona’s decision to bench Inaki Pena in Super Cup semi-final | OneFootball

In a surprising turn of events, the real reason behind Inaki Pena’s replacement by Wojciech Szczesny during Barcelona’s Spanish Super Cup semi-final against Athletic Club has emerged.

According to MARCA, the Spanish goalkeeper’s tardiness to a training session led to his benching, despite being initially slated to start the match.

It is no secret that Barcelona manager, Hansi Flick, is known for his strict stance on punctuality. He has little tolerance for lateness, and this was clearly demonstrated once again when Pena arrived late to the activation session at the team’s hotel.

What happened with Pena?

It is said that the goalkeeper had misunderstood the time at which the squad was meant to gather.

Initially, there were rumours that he had simply overslept, but it later became clear that this wasn’t the case; Pena had made an honest mistake regarding the schedule.

Nevertheless, for Flick, punctuality is non-negotiable, and the goalkeeper’s late arrival had immediate consequences.

Wojciech Szczesny made his second start for Barcelona. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Despite the explanation and apology from Pena, who claimed that he had misjudged the time and had accidentally fallen asleep, the coach decided to make a change.

Flick is very strict

Flick is known for his uncompromising approach to discipline, and this mistake was not going to go unpunished, regardless of the reason behind it.

As a result, Szczesny was given the starting role in goal for the second consecutive match and did not disappoint.

The Polish goalkeeper delivered another impressive performance, keeping a clean sheet and securing his place in the starting lineup moving forward.

This incident serves as a reminder of Flick’s strict discipline at Barcelona, where punctuality and professionalism are always expected, no matter the player’s status or previous performances.

Ultimately, while Pena may have had the opportunity to start, his tardiness cost him, and Szczesny’s reliable performance only reinforced his role as a key player under Flick’s management.