Szczesny says Barcelona a ‘bigger’ challenge than Juventus: ‘I believe in karma’ | OneFootball

Wojciech Szczesny says Barcelona’s call paid him back for being ‘respectful’ to Juventus: ‘There aren’t many bigger challenges.’

The Polish goalkeeper announced in August that he’d retire after terminating his contract with Juventus.

He had already explained that the initial plan was to retire at the end of the 2024-25 campaign, but when the Old Lady signed Michele Di Gregorio from Monza, they started negotiations to terminate his contract.

Barely a month after announcing his retirement, Barcelona called Szczesny, as the La Liga giants needed to replace the injured Marc André ter Stegen.

Szczesny was happy to listen to the Catalans’ offer and eventually join the club, signing a contract until June 2025.

Szczesny says Barcelona a ‘bigger’ challenge than Juventus: ‘I believe in karma’

“It was an incredible privilege to represent Juventus. They are a wonderful club with a fantastic fan base,” the former Arsenal keeper told Sport.

“But I couldn’t motivate myself with a new adventure at a ‘normal’ club when I decided to leave. It had to be a bigger challenge than Juventus, and there aren’t many.

“That’s why I didn’t want to pretend that I could motivate myself anywhere else and I preferred to go home and be with my family. And just when I was comfortable there, Barça came along. At first, I asked for time to think about it, but the first question was: ‘Is this the challenge you want to accept?’ And in my head, I knew I had to say yes. It is extraordinary to come here and do something good for this club and be at the level it requires.”

Szczesny confirmed that Juventus needed to terminate his contract as Di Gregorio had become Thiago Motta’s first-choice keeper while he was among the highest earners at the Allianz Stadium.

“The club told me that I was too expensive for them because they were going through financial problems and wanted to find a solution,” Szczesny said.

“Out of respect for Juve, we did so. And that’s how it ended.

“I could have stayed and earned from the last year of my contract, but I believe in personal relationships, and the club respected me a lot. And I also believe in karma. Now, I will be in the last year of my career at Barça, the biggest challenge I have ever taken on. The world paid me back for being respectful to Juventus.”

Szczesny joined Juventus on a permanent deal from Arsenal in 2017.

The 34-year-old kept 103 clean sheets in 272 appearances in Italy’s top flight, winning the Serie A title three times.