Wojciech Szczesny, 34, is about to have his “last dance” in professional soccer with Barcelona. The Polish goalkeeper, who retired at the end of last season, has been chosen by the Catalan club to replace Ter Stegen, who has suffered a serious injury.
Just three months ago, after ending his contract with Juventus and turning down offers from Saudi Arabia, Szczesny decided to hang up his gloves and say goodbye to the pitch. However, an offer he couldn’t refuse from Barcelona led him to reconsider and extend his career for at least another season.
Since the extent of Ter Stegen’s injury was confirmed, Deco and the Barcelona coaching staff have begun the search for an experienced replacement. Although they have confidence in Iñaki Peña, they have opted for someone with more experience in order to avoid resorting to youngsters Astralaga or Kochen in emergencies. Several names were suggested, including Keylor Navas, ex-Real Madrid, and Claudio Bravo, ex-Barcelona. In the end, Szczesny was chosen to postpone his retirement and defend the goal of one of the biggest clubs in the world.