The Homecoming of Sergio Peña: Alianza Lima’s Second Signing for 2025
Uncertainty ended in Matute: Sergio Peña reached an agreement with Lima Alliance and became the second reinforcement of the ‘Blue and White’ for the South American Cup and Closing Tournament 2025. It was known that the Victoriano bought the steering wheel pass from Greece Paok and will be officially announced in the next few days.
His return will take place after 10 years, and the fans celebrated the news. His contract would be for three years, and everything is planned for him to join the training of Néstor Gorosito next week, preparing for the duel against Gremio in the ‘play offs’ of the international tournament.
“Last week, I commented that Sergio Peña was very close to being a footballer for Alianza Lima; today I can say that Sergio Peña has an agreement and will play in Alianza Lima. There is a verbal agreement between Alianza Lima, Paok of Greece, and the footballer for the realization of the transfer; it is a link for three seasons. It is a management directly from Franco Navarro, who led and negotiated this signing. It is planned that no later than next week he will already be training with the Victorian team,” said Kevin Pacheco in the program ‘Let’s go to VAR’.
After the arrival of Sergio Peña in Matute, many are questioning what position Néstor Gorosito will assign him. The technician usually employs a 4-3-3 game system and has already determined the role that Peña will occupy within his scheme: it will be as an interior player.
It was reported that the midfielder will take the place of Pablo Lavandeira, who sustained a severe injury and will likely reappear only next year. He has been recovering from a third-degree sprain of the external collateral ligament and the full tendon of the femoral bicep in his left knee.
The 30-year-old Peña will compete for the position with Fernando Gaibor and Pablo Ceppelini. The latter has faced criticism recently for his underwhelming performance in several matches, which has led to his loss of the starting title.
Currently, the midfield of the ‘Blue and White’ comprises Gaibor, Ceppelini, Erick Noriega, Piero Cari, Jesús Castillo, and Jean Pierre Archimbaud.
The debate surrounding Peña’s potential playing position has already surfaced among fans, with many eager to see him alongside the Ecuadorian Gaibor and the ‘Samurai’ Noriega. Others believe he might share a role with Piero Cari, as the youth is employed by the head coach as a hook while Sergio would serve as an interior player.
Preparations are underway as the steering wheel will join the training of Lima Alliance next week, gearing up for his highly-anticipated debut with his beloved team. They will face Gremio in the ‘play offs’ of the South American Cup 2025.
The first duel is scheduled for Wednesday, July 16 at 7:30 p.m. at the Alejandro Villanueva Stadium, which would mark Sergio Peña’s debut in the ‘Blue and White’ jersey.
Following that, his focus will shift to the League 1, as he begins his journey in the Closing Tournament 2025. The team will face Cusco FC on Saturday, July 19 at 6:00 p.m. at the Inca Garcilaso de la Vega Stadium.