Image via @FCBarcelona on Twitter
It was just over a month ago that we were falling over ourselves to reflect on the wonderful career of Wojciech Szczęsny when he announced his retirement. Coming as something of a surprise given his relative youth for a goalkeeper, leaving Juventus by mutual consent clearly tipped him into a decision he had supposedly been considering for some time.
His retirement message was heartfelt, and his reasoning was sound. Szczęsny was walking away more or less on his own terms, to spend more time with his family and it took a great deal of courage to bow out having enjoyed a final top-flight European season rather than spend time being a back-up or merely coining it in somewhere like Saudi Arabia or the MLS.
Of course, many at the outset of his month-long retirement had a feeling that at such point in the near-future he would be back playing again, myself included. Such strength was there in this notion that a good enough project to tempt Szczęsny out of retirement would soon be forthcoming was repeated by plenty, especially considering his age. Indeed age was seen a key factor as to why he wouldn’t be retired for long, including by none other than Selekcjoner Michał Probierz.
Now he has officially been announced on a one-year deal by Barcelona, brought in due to Marc-Andre Ter Stegen’s serious knee injury and assumed to be battling it out for the starting goalkeeper position with regular back-up Inaki Pena.
We’ve known for the best part of a week this deal was taking place, and the level of discourse has been understandably high. Probably Poland’s most high-profile player of the last five years aside from his new club teammate Robert Lewandowski, Szczęsny’s short retirement and the fact he and Lewandowski would be playing together for at least a season at one of the world’s biggest was bound to generate the usual cabal of talking heads mouthing off.
One of the most notable soundbites was provided by former Polish goalkeeper and now betting mascot Jerzy Dudek, claiming that in hindsight Szczęsny’s wish to retire to enjoy family life now seemed somewhat hollow. Dudek did preface this by saying he understands when it’s Real Madrid or Barcelona it’s hard to turn down, but it is nonetheless a fairly cheap comment that seemed a bit unnecessary. A shame given my personal mild idolisation of Dudek (Polish, played for Liverpool, generally entertaining person post-playing career), but if you look beyond the crassness of his criticism there is a nugget of truth.
Practically no footballer turns down one of the Spanish giants, indeed the only ones that spring to mind off the top of my head are Steven Gerrard and Francesco Totti turning down Real Madrid in the mid-2000s, and they did that due to loyalty to their childhood club. It’s not really the same to suggest Szczęsny might’ve turned down Barcelona on account of spending more time with his family, especially given that the Catalan club are having a really strong start under Hansi Flick and that he has a great friend in Lewandowski already there.
In light of this announcement being made official, it does raise certain questions around the Polish national team. Probierz already said he didn’t see Szczęsny being retired long, and despite announcing prior to Euro 2024 that he would retire from international football Szczęsny did seem to row back on this shortly before the tournament ended. In the meantime we’ve seen a stunning performance from Łukasz Skorupski and a so-so display from Marcin Bułka, so there is definitely room for a potential return for Szczęsny if he wants it.
As for the second half of this article’s headline, Szczęsny’s footballing legacy is hardly likely to be harmed by a year at Barcelona. It makes the list of clubs he has played for even more impressive and there is every chance he earns further honours before next summer and the end of his deal. We were all quick to heap praise on the career Szczęsny had before this latest turn of events, and it is great fun to see him continue for at least another year at the highest level.
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