After hanging up his boots after Euro 2024, Wojciech Szczesny finally returned to the training grounds in September by signing up with FC Barcelona.
The fastest retirement of the year? No doubt. While he had reached an agreement with Juventus to end his contract to benefit from his sporting retirement, Wojciech Szczesny finally took the same path as all schoolchildren when the school year started.
With a schoolbag on his back or almost, the Polish goalkeeper finally quickly found himself a major new challenge: that of allowing FC Barcelona to compensate for the long-term absence of Marc-André ter-Stegen, victim of a ruptured patellar tendon.
In a long interview given to Sports World this Thursday, the goalkeeper who passed through Arsenal explained the reasons for his backpedaling. “It’s a very strange story for me because the day before Marc’s injury I was 100% sure that Barca would say no to anyone. But when I got the call from Barça, when it became real, it’s a different feeling. I looked at my wife hoping she would just say “don’t do it.” But I am not able to say no to Barcelona. The history of the club and the privilege I feel wearing this jersey is what made me change my decision and nothing more. And I don’t think I would have done it for another club. It was probably fate.”
A strong decision, undoubtedly motivated by the presence in particular of his friend Robert Lewandowski. Unless. “No, no, he was the first to call me and say “listen, if you have a chance, would you come back from retirement? And I talked to him for a while and we didn’t get anywhere. I would say my wife was the most influential, but I can’t say it was just one person.”
“Tek” explained that it had been in discussions in particular with Deco, but also with Hansi Flick: “Yes, but when the coach called me, I was already 99% decided. So he simply called me to congratulate me and explain his vision of football” he said.
Although he will have to wait a little longer to make his debut, Szczesny did not hide his emotion at joining the Catalan club.
