Peña: Yamal is currently the best in the world; of course I hope to return to Barcelona in the future

Hupu News on October 29th Goalkeeper Peña, who is currently playing for Elche, recently accepted an interview with "Daily Sports". During this period, he talked about the upcoming La Liga match against Barcelona, ​​talked about Yamal, and also looked forward to his future. Below is the second half of Peña’s interview.

Barcelona’s goalkeeper position is very complicated this summer. How do you deal with it?

The only difficulty is that, in the end, it's a little more difficult to train. Four people are different from two people. You have to manage more training load. But it was clear to me that I would leave, it was only a matter of time, even though I was training 100%, whether it was Garcia, Szczesny or Cohen, they made me feel part of the first team. I try to improve and get ready for the season and that's it.

How do you get along with Garcia?

To be honest, I didn’t know him before, I only watched him play. We had been in contact for a month and a half, and on a personal level, he was a little worried about registration and I was worried about being able to leave. We remained completely professional and communicated all information at all times. With him, really, there was no problem.

Focus on this week’s game against Barcelona. Will this be a special game for you?

Yes, it’s honestly great. After all, I have been in the first team for five or six years. Not just to face those players, but then to see the physios, the kitchen staff and so on... Well, it's a bit strange to face them when you've been with them for years, but that's only at the beginning because during the game you try to do your best and that's it.

Barcelona lost the El Clasico

Well, this is a double-edged sword. It's true that they had a lot more points at this time last season, but, ultimately, we know what the team has, not only on a collective level, but also on an individual level. They have a lot of players who can decide the game and we will try to give 100%. We have to be true to ourselves, brave and competitive.

Do you think Barcelona’s level has dropped a bit compared to last season?

After all, no team can maintain 100% status throughout the season. We struggled in the last month of last season because we didn't get points. And then we build up fatigue, a lot of games... During these peaks and troughs, you're trying to be as consistent as possible. We know that Barcelona is still at the top and competitive even with this. We will face one of the best clubs and go into the game with this motivation.

Barcelona has many important players missing. Is this good news for Elche?

Whether it's good or bad, I can tell you after the game, whether they play or not. It does make a difference because they are, after all, one of the best players in the world and can change the game.

Are Elche and Barcelona similar in terms of playing styles?

Yes, on a conceptual level, what you want is to defend as little as possible and attack as much as possible. Beyond that, you want to dominate and control the game. Then, there are some detail differences. In offense and defense, Barcelona's defense is pressed further forward. We’re a little more conservative in that regard, but we’re a little more disciplined in terms of building play from the back. They also rely more on individual ability, because they are a club with the ability to have top players, and we do everything through teamwork. If all of us are in good condition, then the game will go much smoother. After all, we do not have players with outstanding individual abilities like Yamal, Rafinha or Lewandowski. So we try to make up for that by playing with 100% commitment as a team and bringing the game into our rhythm.

Can Elche take away three points?

Yes, of course, otherwise we wouldn't have gone. This has been proven before. Elche has been to Atlético Madrid's home ground and got points. If we do what we're good at, if we take risks, if we're brave, even against a team like this, we know that's the way.

Elche does struggle more on the road

Yes, this is something we have discussed internally. Playing at home and playing on the road is a little different, especially with the way we play, which is riskier and more dangerous. We have to put aside the circumstances because we are eleven against eleven, one ball. There are a lot of players who haven't played many minutes in La Liga before in the top flight, it's just a matter of time. We will succeed in the end and we have to maintain this level at home so that we can continue to do what we are good at away from home.

By the way, how do you get along with Yamal?

Very good, very good. You knew he was different, in the first training sessions you could already see he had a talent above the others. On a personal level, very good too. I tried to help him as much as I could when I was in the team, they were young guys and everything happened so fast and suddenly. He is very focused when training, is the most competitive, wants to win the most, even in training. Hopefully he continues to have that desire because it will eventually make him one of the best players in the world.

But do you think he should reduce his exposure on social media?

It's a personal thing, if I did that, I wouldn't be comfortable, and if he did what I did, he wouldn't be comfortable either. That's what he is. Let him enjoy it, and the worst part is that he cannot enjoy it because he is in a position that few or almost no one can achieve, so let him continue to have fun.

For you, is he the best player in the world?

Yes, for now, yes. In terms of talent, I personally experienced his personal ability in training. You can see that he is different, just like I saw Messi back then. You look at him and say, wow! He's different from everyone else out there.

Finally, do you hope to return to Barcelona next season to fulfill your contract?

Any player wants to stay where they were once happy, where they have spent their whole life, and I renewed my contract with this goal in mind. That's what the club communicated to me, that they saw me leaving as an important step, to gain continuity and to feel important. And then you never know, the world of football is fickle, but obviously, any player who is asked if he wants to go to Barcelona... 99.9% of them will say yes. What's more, after staying in La Masia for so many years, of course I am willing.