Fabrizio Romano reveals which Barcelona player influenced Wojciech Szczęsny's return from retirement
By Eduardo Razo
Former Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny came out of retirement to join FC Barcelona after the Catalan side needed a goalkeeper due to an injury to starter Marc-André ter Stegen.
Nonetheless, reports suggest that the Serie A side benefits financially from this move from the veteran shot-stopper.
Spanish media outlet SPORT reported that Juventus was set to receive money after the Polish shot-stopper opted to come out of retirement. According to their report, Szczęsny would have to pay Juventus €2 million if he decided to sign with Barcelona.
Additionally, the information revealed that the 34-year-old had received a €6 million payout to terminate his contract and retire earlier that summer.
Szczęsny retired in August after making 252 appearances for Juventus during his eight-year career with the Turin-based club. The veteran also recorded 103 clean sheets for the Serie A giants.
Robert Lewandowski plays a significant role in Barcelona arrival
So, why did Szczęsny decide to come out of retirement? Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano provided behind-the-scenes details in his Daily Briefing column for CaughtOffside.
“[Szczęsny] retired in the summer but as I told you, he didn’t want to retire,” Romano wrote. “He wanted to play one more season and then retire in 2025 but there were no big opportunities for goalkeepers this past summer, so Szczesny decided to leave professional football.
“When Barcelona called and when Robert Lewandowski called – because Lewandowski was also a factor – calling him and telling him about the project they have at Barcelona for the season and the feeling the players have with Hansi Flick, Szczesny decided to say yes.
“He took 24 hours last week with his family, with his agents, then he accepted the contract. He will compete for the No.1 spot with Inaki Pena and will play when Flick thinks it’s appropriate. At the end of the season, Mark-Andre ter Stegen is expected to return.”
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