Arsenal, AS Roma and Juventus – Wojciech Szczęsny's CV has long impressed, but few expected that his goalkeeper career would end with his departure from the latter team. The 84-time Polish representative leaves in sporting glory and among the best goalkeepers in the world. Szczęsny is being bid farewell by experts, colleagues and rivals. But also by fans, who thank him for his great performances in recent years playing for the national team.
Bitter words from the former coach. This is what he said about Szczęsny
Szczęsny is retiring from playing at just 34, which is quite young for a goalkeeper. It seemed that after parting ways with Juventus, the Pole would find a new club. There was speculation about a move to Saudi Arabia, other Serie A options were considered, and increasingly brave Arsenal fans quietly dreamed of his return to Emirates Stadium.
In the barrel of honey that the last few hours have undoubtedly become for Szczęsny – after all, he received mainly thanks and wishes from the football world – there was also a spoonful of tar. This is the statement of the former coach of the youth teams, Michał Globisz, who unexpectedly hit the goalkeeper.
– I am surprised that he never answered my phone or replied to my text messages. And yet I had and still have an excellent contract with my teammate and friend Grzegorz Krychowiak. I had widely known vision problems, it is not that I asked for help, but you can reply to a text message with congratulations, it does not cost anything. I am simply sorry and surprised by such an attitude. They say that a good goalkeeper must be a bit crazy, but there is a difference between madness and lack of personal culture – said the experienced coach in an interview with Interia.
In 2006, Michał Globisz called Szczęsny up to the Polish U-16 national team, and a year later he took him to the U-20 World Cup in Canada. The goalkeeper was only 17 at the time, the youngest member of the national team.
It is worth remembering that Michał Globisz's contribution to Polish youth football is truly significant. He won the gold medal at the European Under-18 Championship in 2001, and two years earlier the silver medal at the Old Continent Under-16 Championship. At the aforementioned World Under-20 Championship in 2007, Poland reached the 1/8 finals, eliminating Brazil along the way. The goal in that match was scored by Grzegorz Krychowiak.
In the match for advancement to the quarter-finals, despite the Polish lead, Argentina turned out to be better and, as it later turned out, won the entire tournament and had in its ranks future stars of world football, led by Angel Di Maria and Sergio Aguero.