recently announced his retirement from football, Ivan de la Pena returned to being a valued player for much longer as something he had disappeared from the soccer fields. De la Peña
leaves a lot of magic in his boots, a final pass of scandal, and the affection of audiences and peers who hardly forget.
This week, players and former players and Guardiola, Ronaldo Nazario, Laurent Blanc, and David Albelda Raúl González reminded us why he should pay homage to "the Pelat" as the hero he always was.
And is that the Spaniard had a career full of ups and downs. Its inception through the ranks at Barcelona were truly spectacular, and which would soon give way to the first team. His first call was from the hands of coach Johann Cruyff, and in that game scored a goal, which would give a greater confidence for future years.
season 95/96 in the Barcelona B alternates with the first team and in the final stretch of the season was consolidated in the first team. That helps to Bobby Robson to include it in your template for the next season, and earning the title in the second half of the season, with players like Ronaldo, Guardiola, Stoichkov and Luis Figo.
The arrival of Louis Van Gaal in the summer of 1997 to FC Barcelona bench, which would displace the Bobby Robson sports management, it does no good to De la Peña. The player does not always holds, since the arrival of Giovanni rotated several times, in the style of Van Gaal.
Summer of 98 is crucial for the player, then sends Italian football in Europe, and Lazio was one of the clubs more money handled. After seeing that the situation was inappropriate Ivan in Barcelona, \u200b\u200bthe whole Roman makes him an offer he could not refuse, neither he nor the actual Barcelona. 2500 million Euros, making it one of the most expensive signings of his time. The player comes to Rome, with the sign of true crack and is received as a hero in his presentation.
From that moment, his reaches Lazio is the time where they begin their muscle injury, which is repeated several times throughout his career. De la Peña barely show their qualities in Serie A, and to recover from sports injury management decided to transfer it to
Marseille where he spent a very difficult time and where little was in the starting line. After spending all season in France 99-00, Ivan de la Peña returns to Barcelona, \u200b\u200bhis home, where he is on loan from Lazio, who no longer think or to recover.
The second stage in Barcelona was not like the first, the injury was added to Serra Ferrer Blaugrana technical at the time, did not knew how to give proper treatment, did not even onces in which "the Pelat" could develop their full potential. 12 games in total all season dispute between Champions League and Cup and Lazio decided to bring back what was said by this time the Italian team would not yield it to anyone, because the level of de la Peña was not not a professional term, mainly due to injuries. His 2001-2002 season was the worst of his career, only played 2 games between league and cup, and at the end of the season ended contract, Lazio and he thought and did not renew the Spaniard, who already had a computer had been interested in it, long
the Espanyol.
And here begins the second chance, for the magician Cantabrian where for eight season was the team leader, the mirror to the quarry, and the player for which all technicians had. His injuries were reduced in proportion to their previous ordeal, and its connection with the great Raul Tamudo Espanyol had made a couple magic for several seasons.
De la Peña was leaving the skin in every game and sparked the interest of several teams such as Atletico Madrid and Villarreal, but the player loved all the colors of parrots, and neither was thought to follow in Barcelona.
His talent was unquestionable for years, and the Spaniard was for many one of the best players in the last decade. In 2005, Luis Aragones decides to convene with the selection, with whom he played five games, three qualifiers for the World Cup, and two friendly, but the injuries left him unable to participate further.
His last two seasons have been very hard, low shot between injuries and moods, what they did announce his retirement, very emotional for all the world of football, even internationally.
