Wojciech Szczesny has joined Barcelona until the end of the season, just over a month after announcing his retirement from professional football. The former Poland international steps in following Marc-André ter Stegen’s serious knee injury, making his anticipated debut against Alaves in the upcoming La Liga match.
Wojciech Szczesny, the former Arsenal goalkeeper, has made a surprising return to the football scene by signing with Barcelona on a contract that will last until the end of the current season. This announcement comes just over a month after Szczesny declared his retirement from the sport on August 27, following the end of his contract with Juventus.
At 34 years old, Szczesny stepped away from professional football after a successful career that included notable tenures at clubs such as Brentford, Roma, and Juventus. During his time in Turin, he made an impressive 252 appearances and collected three Serie A titles along with three Coppa Italia trophies. His career also featured 181 appearances for Arsenal, as well as earning 84 caps with the Polish national team, participating in four European Championships and two World Cups.
Barcelona’s need for a new goalkeeper arose after Marc-André ter Stegen suffered a serious knee injury in a match against Villarreal. According to La Liga rules, teams can recruit free agents to replace players sidelined due to long-term injuries.
Szczesny is anticipated to make his debut for Barcelona in the upcoming La Liga fixture against Alaves. Despite a recent setback, where Barcelona fell 4-2 to Osasuna, the team remains at the top of the league standings with seven victories from eight matches.
