One of Barça‘s strengths this season has been their solid defense, with Szczesny as its leading player. The Polish goalkeeper arrived as an emergency measure when he was no longer expected to continue playing, but he has become indispensable to Hansi Flick, and there is already talk of extending his contract.
Deco, FC Barcelona’s sporting director, has all but confirmed that Polish goalkeeper Szczesny will remain at the club when his contract expires on June 30. “He is a very experienced goalkeeper. When we had the opportunity to sign him, thanks to one of those coincidences in football, he had retired and was still under contract with Juventus. We knew he had a lot to offer, but the credit goes to the player and the coach. We do our job and they are the ones who push. We are happy with him and he will surely continue with us,” he admitted.
In recent days, Szczesny has seen his spectacular run come to an end. The goalkeeper, who has been first choice in 2025, had not lost a game for Barcelona since his arrival. The Polish player ended his run of 22 games unbeaten—12 of them without conceding a single goal—and is now one away from equaling Cruyff’s record.
The end of a streak that could be worrying. Barça have conceded six goals in their last two games. The three goals conceded against Dortmund and the three goals scored by Borja Iglesias at Montjuic have not had any consequences, but they are a clear warning ahead of the crucial moment approaching in the calendar.
Three of the last 11 goals conceded by Szczesny came from corners. Despite this, Szczesny usually comes out on top and saves a much higher percentage of crosses than Ter Stegen, Iñaki Peña, and all the other goalkeepers Barça has had in the 21st century.
The return of Ter Stegen
Szczesny is filling in for German goalkeeper Ter Stegen in the Champions League and should make way for him to play in Europe. Asked about this situation ahead of the quarter-final second leg, the Polish goalkeeper was clear in his response.
“I think I’m here this season to replace Marc. If Marc is back and fit and the coaches decide to put him back in goal, I’ll agree with that. That said, I want to play in this competition, of course. I hope that if the decision goes the other way, Marc understands that too. We have a great relationship and whatever happens is Hansi’s decision and we will respect it,” said Szczesny.
Szczesny insisted that “Marc is a very high-level player and it makes no sense to make comparisons” and had words of praise for his teammate after his return to training with the group. “He’s coming back to training after a very serious injury and the truth is that when he’s 100% fit, there won’t be many goalkeepers at his level. Right now, Marc is just focused on getting back to training. We understand the situation very well and there is no tension between us. Whatever happens, we will understand and respect it. We both want the best for the team,” added the Polish player.