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Szczeszny says he is at Barcelona to help in any role, comments on smoking habit

Barcelona’s recently signed goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has expressed his readiness to help the team and support young talents like Iñaki Peña, even though he admits he’s not physically prepared to play at the moment. Barcelona, needing an experienced goalkeeper after Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s severe injury, brought Szczesny out of retirement, and he has been clear that his role is to assist and mentor the younger players through the challenges of a demanding season.

“The team is very young. There is a lot of talent and young players, but they also need some experience so that they know how to handle difficult moments. A season is never about winning & everyone is happy. There is tiredness, there are injuries.”

Regarding his place on the bench, Szczesny expressed his readiness to prioritize the team’s success over personal ambitions. “Coming back to be on the bench? I could. If you tell me now: ‘Tek, you’ll be on the bench for the whole season, but you’ll help Inaki and we’ll win titles’ I’d be happy. I have the ambition to play, but I’m not here to take Inaki’s place” the Polish goalkeeper explained.

He further acknowledged that he’s still not fully fit and needs time to return to his best. “I want to help Iñaki Peña because right now I’m not ready to play. I’m honest, and physically, I still need some time. I’ll give my 100%, and I’ll be there for whatever they need me for.”

Additionally, Szczesny addressed the personal scrutiny he’s faced, specifically about his smoking habits, making it clear that such matters are his own business. “I don’t smoke in front of kids, I don’t give a bad example. But people take pictures of me smoking behind trees, where I can’t even see them. I try to hide it, not show to people”. He also added firmly: “If anyone thinks they can change my personal life, try again, it never worked”.



 Author: Paul Kemp

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