According to Ronaldo, the best: ex-Barça star stirs tensions in Barcelona | OneFootball

When the legendary Brazilian striker Ronaldo says about someone that he was "the best," you’d normally assume he’s talking about a superstar everyone instantly recognizes. But in this case, that’s not so. 

If Mauricio Pochettino is to be believed, R9 wasn’t talking about Messi, Ronaldinho, or any other icon of that stature, but about Iván de la Peña, who has now been forgotten by many. As Pochettino, who was on the pitch for Espanyol during Messi’s Barcelona debut, once revealed to journalists, the early hype around de la Peña was even bigger than it was for Messi, Xavi, or Iniesta. 

📸 GERRY PENNY

If you look at old highlight clips of the Spaniard, it becomes clear where that excitement came from. The technique, vision, and resulting passing game of the midfield gem were truly out of this world. But after that lightning-fast start with the Catalans, de la Peña’s time at Barça came to an end sooner than expected.

One of the reasons was a very familiar face, especially to Bayern fans: Louis van Gaal. After his appointment at FC Barcelona, things became increasingly difficult for the young midfielder. Van Gaal’s clear tactical ideas and the discipline he demanded were a thorn in de la Peña’s side — and just three years later, he was sold to Lazio. 

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What followed were four difficult years, including unsuccessful loan spells, for the gifted technician once adored in Barcelona, before he finally found happiness later in his career. At RCD Espanyol Barcelona, the city rival of his former club, the Spaniard became a club legend and stayed there until retiring in 2011. 

Although that was a good 15 years ago now, de la Peña is once again causing a stir in the Spanish city these days. He is now a player agent, and his list of clients is certainly impressive. For example, the 49-year-old represents youngster Pedro “Dro” Fernández, who left FC Barcelona at the start of this year at just 18 years old and moved to Paris Saint-Germain — much to Barça’s dismay. 

"I loved Dro, so of course I’m disappointed. But that’s football. We have to respect this decision. I’m disappointed. He knows it, but I really loved this boy," Flick told the media about the transfer. While the Catalans’ successful coach expressed his disappointment rather diplomatically, Barça president Laporta was far more furious about the departure of the young attacking gem. 

📸 FRANCK FIFE - AFP or licensors

"What happened with Dro was a betrayal," Laporta fumed after the transfer. He also couldn’t resist taking a clear swipe at de la Peña. "If it had happened with Jorge Mendes (agent of Lamine Yamal and many other top stars), it couldn’t have gone the way it did with the bald guy," the Barça boss raged, referring to the former midfield maestro. 

Laporta explained that what especially enraged him about de la Peña’s decision to send his client from Barcelona to PSG was that he only has such a prominent role as a player agent because of his past with the Catalans. Since the "bald guy" also has Gavi and Eric Garcia on his client list alongside Dro Fernández, it’s fair to expect more friction between Laporta and de la Peña in the future as well. 

Whether as an unpredictable magician on the pitch or a hard-nosed negotiator off it, Iván de la Peña remains a polarizing figure in Barcelona. To Joan Laporta, he may currently be public enemy number one, but to Ronaldo, he remains simply what he has always been: the best.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

📸 Tobias Heyer - Bongarts