FC Barcelona Tempts Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny Out Of Retirement

Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny shocked fans by coming out of retirement to sign for Spanish giants Barcelona on Wednesday. The La Liga leaders announced in a statement that they had reached a deal with the 34-year-old former Arsenal and Juventus player, securing his services until June 30, 2025. Szczesny's return to the pitch comes at a crucial time for Barcelona, as their first-choice goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to a serious knee injury sustained on September 22. The experienced shot-stopper will be tasked with filling the void left by ter Stegen and providing stability to the team's defense as they push for success in both domestic and European competitions.

Szczesny retired this summer after featuring at Euro 2024 for Poland but has now returned to the game to play in La Liga for the first time.

The goalkeeper had said his "heart (was) not there any more" to play football after leaving Juventus by mutual agreement in August.

Szczesny has made over 600 appearances for club and country over his career, winning three Serie A titles and three Italian cups with Juventus, as well as two FA Cups with Arsenal.

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Barca's reserve goalkeeper Inaki Pena started in place of the stricken Ter Stegen in recent matches.

(This story has not been edited by staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)