Iván de la Peña López (Spanish pronunciation: ; born 6 May 1976) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a central midfielder. During his career, he earned the nicknames Pequeño Buddha (Little Buddha) and Lo Pelat (The Shaven One) due to his shaven head and slight frame.
Having started as a youth prodigy at Barcelona, he incidentally closed out his extensive career at neighbouring Espanyol, amassing La Liga totals of 269 games and 19 goals over the course of 12 seasons.
De la Peña was known for his technical skills and accurate passing ability, although his career was affected by several injuries.
2003-2011 |