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Barcelona star Wojciech Szczesny disclosed that he essentially played for free during his debut season with the club.
Szczesny, 35, announced his retirement from football in August 2024, but less than a month later, he accepted an offer from Barcelona.
Wojciech Szczesny revealed he played for free during his debut season with Barcelona
Szczesny’s earnings in his first year at Barcelona were directed to his previous club, Juventus
The Blaugrana were in urgent need of a goalkeeper to fill in for Marc-Andre ter Stegen following an unexpected knee injury, and the former ace agreed to help out.
The ex-Poland international revealed that all of his earnings in his first year at the club were allocated to his former team, Juventus.
The goalkeeper's annual salary matched the exact amount he owed Juve for terminating his contract prematurely two years prior.
Szczesny shared with the Polish edition of GQ: “It wasn’t that football no longer thrilled me.
“I just wasn’t enthusiastic about the options available to me, even though the ten biggest clubs were making offers.
“It wasn’t about increasing my market value. I didn’t want to continue playing solely for financial gain. My instinct told me to decline.
“Three days before announcing my retirement, I communicated with him and expressed that I didn’t want to play for any club again. When Barcelona reached out, he likely suspected he could convince me.
“I played my entire first season for free. What I received from Barcelona was exactly what I had to repay for terminating my contract early.”
Szczesny also discussed a persistent injury he has suffered from since 2008 when he was with Arsenal.
The former Juventus star injured both of his forearms during a gym session and explained that the pain was so severe it left him unable to move them.
Szczesny added: “During training, there comes a moment when I completely lose sensation in my hands and can’t even grip a water bottle due to the pain.
“Then the coaches and I joke that the session is over because I’m ‘paralyzed again’, but the reality is I’m worn out from this agony.
“It’s most challenging during pre-season, in the most intense sessions. During the season, it’s easier — you train twice and then play, allowing your hands some rest and easing the pain. It radiates from the wrist to the elbow.”
- What did Wojciech Szczesny reveal about his debut season at Barcelona?
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Szczesny disclosed that he played his entire first season for free, with his earnings going to his former club, Juventus, due to a contract termination repayment.
- Why did Szczesny retire before joining Barcelona?
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He retired because he felt uninspired by the options available to him, despite receiving offers from major clubs.
- What injury has Szczesny been dealing with?
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Szczesny has been suffering from a nagging injury in his forearms since 2008, which causes him significant pain during training.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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