In Barcelona it is the day of Wojciech Szczesny. The Polish goalkeeper has retraced his steps and, after announcing his retirement from playing football last August 27, at the age of 34 he decided to put his gloves back on to replace the injured Ter Stegen (out for 8 months) in goal for Barça. The last match played by the expert goalkeeper was on 21 June, during his Poland’s defeat against Austria at Euro 2024 (1-3). Then, a long summer flirtation with various interested clubs (the last big club to try in Europe was Villarreal), which led to a surprise farewell to football. Almost as if to say: “It’s either Juve or nothing.”
However, a farewell that lasted less than a month, given that Szczesny was convinced by Deco and Laporta (as well as by his friend and compatriot Lewandowski) to dive back into the fray and move to La Liga at least until 30 June 2024. The icing on an already rich career of challenges, titles and successes around Europe. After his debut in his homeland in the youth team of Legia Warsaw, Szczesny arrived in the Arsenal youth team in 2006, continuing his growth path between the youth team and the reserve team. Then the loan to Brentford in 2009-2010 and the return as a protagonist to the Gunners with five consecutive seasons seeing him lift two FA Cups and a Community Shield. From 2015 to 2017 the goalkeeper born in 1990 defended the posts for Roma in Serie A, an Italian adventure which then continued from 2017 to 2024 with Juventus. Szczesny accumulated 252 appearances in seven seasons with Juventus, winning three Italian championships, three Italian Cups and two Italian Super Cups.