Ivan de la Peña: he “little Buddha” It was a misunderstood genius

Last update 7 November, 2024 by Alberto Llopis

Ivan de la Peña He was one of those footballers who marked an era, not only for its technique and quality, but for the uniqueness of his style. Known as “The Little Buddha” due to his always perfectly shaved head, de la Peña was a player with exceptional passing talent and an unmatched vision of the game.. Able to find spaces where others only saw grass, The Cantabrian player seemed destined to be a world star, although his career was left halfway, leaving the feeling that his talent, gave for much much more.

Born in Santander on 6 May 1976, Iván de la Peña was trained at La Masia, Barcelona's talent pool, and from a young age he stood out in all the lower categories.

In 1995, to the 19 years, He was already considered the best player in the Second Division at Barça B, what caught the attention of the legendary Johan Cruyff, who promoted him to the first team in the season 1995-96. Although that time coincided with the decline of the “Dream Team” by Cruyff, De la Peña demonstrated his great quality from the beginning.

The rise of Iván de la Peña and the “Fifth Mini”

De la Peña was part of a generation of talents known as the “Fifth Mini,” in reference to the Mini Stadium of Barça B, although without reaching the impact of the famous “Quinta del Vulture” of Real Madrid. With his peculiar style and his ability to filter impossible passes, “Lo Plates” He became a cult player in Spanish football. Despite its projection, His career in the Spanish team was limited, debuting in the senior team only at 29 years and after several injuries that affected his performance.

The unforgettable duo with Ronaldo in the 96-97 and his departure from Barça

One of the most outstanding moments of his career was the duo he formed with Ronaldo Nazário, the “phenomenon”, in the season 1996-97. The one of the Star League.

De la Peña saw the spaces and sent the ball, and Ronaldo, with its explosive speed and power, He was in charge of finishing the plays.

However, the arrival of Louis van Gaal to Barcelona it meant the end of this stage. In 1997, The Catalan club sold De la Peña to Lazio for 2500 million pesetas, thus beginning a stage marked by ups and downs and transfers, in teams like Olympique de Marseille and a return to Barça in 2001, although its performance was no longer the same. He barely played in that entire period. And when everything seemed lost, RCD Espanyol arrived.

It’s Ivan de la Pena’s birthday this week.

So here’s a big goal from The Little Buddha…pic.twitter.com/tYUbhKMkgb

— A Funny Old Game (@sid_lambert) May 7, 2021

The revitalization of Iván de la Peña at Espanyol

In 2002, De la Peña arrived at Espanyol, the eternal rival of his training club. In this team, got a second chance in his career, remaining in the first team until his retirement in 2011. And doing it at a spectacular level.

It was during this stage when he finally achieved international status under Luis Aragonés., who valued his talent and gave him the opportunity to represent Spain at the senior level after having done so in all the youth teams.. Although he only played five games with the national team.

Ivan de la Peña, despite his undeniable ability and brilliant moments on the field, He was removed in 2011 leaving a bittersweet feeling among fans. He was a player with a unique talent, who was caught between expectations that were very high and the challenges of a career marked by ups, downs and irregularity.