- Szczesny agreed to join Barcelona just 36 days after announcing his retirement
- The Polish stopper and Ronaldo played together for three seasons at Juventus
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Cristiano Ronaldo and Wojciech Szczesny shared a joke at the expense of their former club Juventus during a moving reunion on Saturday evening.
The Portuguese legend scored his 133rd international goal as Portugal defeated Poland 3-1 in their Nations League match at the Warsaw National Stadium. During the match, Szczesny and Grzegorz Krychowiak also officially said goodbye to the national team.
The Polish stopper had called time on his career in August after leaving Juventus, before hastily reversing his decision when Barcelona needed an experienced goalkeeper following Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s season-ending injury.
During a meeting between Ronaldo and Szczesny, who spent three years together in Turin, the two took aim at their former employer.
“You had to retire to join a big club.” Ronaldo could be heard speaking to Szczesny, in recognition of the unusual situation that led to his transfer.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Wojciech Szczesny shared a joke at the expense of their former club
Ronaldo extended his remarkable international goalscoring record with his 133rd try in Portugal’s victory over Poland
Szczesny and Grzegorz Krychowiak officially say goodbye to the Polish national team on Saturday evening
Szczesny won three Serie A titles and three Coppa Italia trophies with the Turin giants after playing for Brentford, Arsenal and Roma. He won the FA Cup twice with Arsenal.
He also collected 84 caps for Poland in an international career from 2009 to 2024, playing at four European Championships and two World Cups.
Barcelona’s options to bring in a replacement were limited after an earlier ruling decided that clubs would no longer be able to sign a player from another club, as they did in the case of Leganes’ Martin Braithwaite in 2020.
Szczesny was among the shortlist of names set to step between the posts for the LaLiga and Champions League participants, as well as former Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas, 37.
The club can pay him up to 80 percent of Ter Stegen’s £7.5 million salary.
“I am very proud to be a Barcelona player,” he said in a short video after announcing his move. ‘Visca el Barca (Long live Barca!)’.
Szczesny’s retirement lasted just 36 days after he completed a move to Barcelona, which needed an experienced goalkeeper
Szczesny is set to make his debut for the Catalan club when the domestic schedule resumes this weekend.
Barcelona welcomes Sevilla to the Olympic Stadium before matches against Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in three days.