By Canadian Press

Former Poland goalkeeper Szczesny joins Barcelona after announcing his retirement in August

Oct 2, 2024 | 8:18 AM

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona has added former Poland goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny to its squad to help make up for the absence of the injured Marc-André ter Stegen.

Szczesny had retired from professional soccer in August after leaving Italian club Juventus.

Barcelona said Wednesday that the 34-year-old Szczesny arrives “in unusual circumstances but there is no doubt that his CV speaks for itself.”

Barcelona said it had reached a deal for Szczesny to stay until the end of the season.

Ter Stegen, one of the team’s captains, had surgery after rupturing a tendon in his right knee in a Spanish league game and is expected to be sidelined for several months.

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Iñaki Peña has been Barcelona’s starter in goal since Ter Stegen got injured last month. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has backed the 25-year-old Peña but said the club would look to add an experienced goalkeeper to the squad.

Szczesny attended Barcelona’s 5-0 win over Young Boys in the Champions League on Tuesday, watching the match from a VIP section at the Montjuic stadium.

Szczesny, who started his professional career at Arsenal, made 84 appearances for Poland, including at this year’s European Championship. He featured in two World Cups and four Euros.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

The Associated Press