This summer, Wojciech Szczesny (34) took his time to make a decision, and in the end, he chose to call it quits. He terminated his contract with Juventus, rejected lucrative offers from Saudi Arabia, and decided to move to Marbella to enjoy his retirement.But then, out of nowhere, the opportunity to join Barcelona as their goalkeeper emerged!Marc-André ter Stegen suffered a severe injury, leaving Barca in a tough spot, scrambling to find a new goalkeeper. Since the transfer window has closed, their only options are free agents — goalkeepers who currently don’t have a club. One of them, and probably the best option, is Szczesny. Although he’s been out of training for months, Barcelona don’t have many choices. It’s either Szczesny or no one until the January transfer window…##NAJAVA_MECA_8370942##Hansi Flick has given the club the green light to pursue Szczesny, and his long-time friend Robert Lewandowski also vouchs for him. Now, the decision lies with the Catalan club’s management. Public opinion is divided: should they bring in a freshly retired player or trust backup goalkeeper Iñaki Peña until January, when the market will reopen for potentially more suitable options?One criticism against Szczesny is that he’s often seen in public with cigarettes. While at Juventus, he wasn’t shy about lighting up right after leaving the training center. Even during his time at Arsenal, he was fined for smoking.”I was a regular smoker, and Arsène Wenger knew about it. I also knew that he didn’t want cigarettes in the locker room… But after the adrenaline from games, I would smoke in the locker room. I’d go to the showers in the far corner of the room and smoke where no one could smell the smoke. But someone saw me and reported it to Wenger, and I was fined,” Szczesny once said.Szczęsny and Lewandowski have a very close relationship, not only limited to football. They have been friends for over 15 years, and even share the same childhood friend group.— @wlodar85 pic.twitter.com/BEPY1uLF4K— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) September 27, 2024 Defending the Pole and his lifestyle is legendary Spanish goalkeeper Santiago Cañizares. The former Real Madrid, Valencia, and Spanish national team keeper sees nothing wrong with it.”I don’t see a problem with a footballer smoking a cigarette or having a drink. I have a bigger issue when I see a lazy player on the pitch, without passion, charisma, or drive. They can drink milk every night and have cereal for breakfast, and still be useless on the field. In football, it’s important to have passion and talent, to be a winner,” says Cañizares.He agrees that certain rules should be respected…”I understand that smoking in the locker room or bathroom shows a lack of respect for the profession. Maybe it’s not good for the image. But what’s the problem if someone smokes in their free time?” Cañizares asks.Now it’s up to Barcelona’s management…Unregistering the injured Ter Stegen will allow FC Barcelona to permanently register Dani Olmo and Szczęsny in La Liga.— @mundodeportivo pic.twitter.com/DWONmljTUW— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) September 27, 2024
