Iñaki Peña, substitute in his first call-up with Elche

Elche CF has finally registered goalkeeper Iñaki Peña (26 years old) for the 2025/26 season, but the Spanish goalkeeper failed to snatch the starting position from Matías Dituro in his first match.

The experienced Argentine goalkeeper was again a starter in the third matchday of LaLiga against Levante (2-0), relegating Peña to the bench in what was his first official call-up with the 'franjiverde' team.

The arrival of Iñaki, loaned by FC Barcelona, generated excitement among the Elche fans, who see in the goalkeeper an eventual improvement in the team's goal in their fight to maintain the category.

However, the technical staff led by Eder Sarabia has chosen to start the season with the continuity of Dituro, giving full confidence to the veteran 28-year-old footballer.

Dituro, undisputed starter; Peña, waiting for his opportunity

The decision not to line up Peña reflects the full confidence of the Spanish coach in Dituro, who played as a starter in the draw against Betis (1-1), in another draw against Atlético de Madrid and was again chosen for the match against Levante, where the 'franjiverdes' added their first victory of the season.

The Argentine goalkeeper, who arrived at the club in 2024, has earned the trust of the fans with decisive saves and great solidity under the posts, adding 62 matches played with the club. Against Levante, he kept his goal undefeated and made one save.

Peña, on the other hand, arrives after an irregular season at Barça, where after the injury of Marc-André Ter Stegen, beyond earning the trust of Hansi Flick, he was relegated again as a substitute with the arrival of Szczesny. In addition, the signing of Joan García left him without a place in the squad.

Internal competition: a challenge for Iñaki Peña

His goal at the Estadio Martínez Valero is to rediscover his best version with minutes that he would not have at the Spotify Camp Nou, where he would hardly see minutes with the arrival of Joan García and the presence of Szczesny, who is still waiting for his registration.

Last season, Iñaki managed to play 23 matches for the blaugrana club in which he conceded 25 goals, with 7 clean sheets. Now, the Alicante native must demonstrate his qualities in training and make the most of the opportunities in Elche.

Meanwhile, he must be patient and work to be prepared when his opportunity arrives, although Matías Dituro will complicate his path to the starting position if he maintains his current level. At the moment, he is the third goalkeeper with the most saves in LaLiga (8), tied with Marko Dmitrovic (Sevilla) and surpassed by Aaron Escandell (18 with Oviedo) and Pablo Campos (11 with Levante).