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Barcelona were dealt a huge blow in September last year when they lost captain and first-choice goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen to a serious injury.
The German international was potentially ruled out for the entire season, raising concerns within the club over the goalkeeper’s position.
Although Iñaki Peña was trusted to replace the club captain, Barça decided to make an emergency signing to add a goalkeeper with more experience to the squad.
And, after studying several options, they ended up convincing former Juventus and Arsenal star Wojciech Szczesny to come out of retirement and sign for the rest of the season.
Tomas Vaclik reveals that Barcelona were interested
Now, former Sevilla goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik, a free agent since last summer, has revealed that Barcelona were also interested in him, but ended up signing Szczesny.
The fact that he had played in La Liga and mastered the Spanish language counted in Vaclik’s favor, but in the end it was the 34-year-old Pole who was signed.
In an interview with TVP Sport (h/t SPORT), the 35-year-old, who was at Albacete last season before becoming a free agent, recalled:
“I was following this situation all the time because he was also considered for a transfer to Barcelona to replace Ter Stegen. In the end they chose Szczesny.”
Szczesny made his Barcelona debut earlier this month in a cup tie and has since made four appearances, although his most recent outing against Benfica was unforgettable as he made two huge mistakes that hurt the team.
Despite this, Vaclik praised the 34-year-old and highlighted his experience at the highest level as an advantage.
“Szczesny was Juventus’ number one for many years and one of the best goalkeepers in Europe. Suddenly they told him that he was no longer part of the project, he decided to retire and went on vacation to Marbella.” he pointed out.
“This is a great moment for him. “He won the Super Cup and played several games.” Vaclik added.
The Czech goalkeeper also did not hesitate to comment on Robert Lewandowski’s performance at Barça, as he said:
“He continues to show that he is still a world-class striker.”
