Szczęsny opens up about smoking habit and Barcelona move

Wojciech Szczęsny, the former Juventus goalkeeper who recently came out of retirement to join Barcelona as a replacement for the injured Marc-André ter Stegen, has given an exclusive interview to Mundo Deportivo. In the candid conversation, Szczęsny addressed various aspects of his career and personal life, including his smoking habit.

Addressing his smoking for the first time publicly, Szczęsny stated, “It’s nobody’s business and it doesn’t affect what I do on the field. These are things I don’t change, and it’s nobody’s business if I smoke. It doesn’t touch what I do on the football field; I work twice as hard.”

The goalkeeper admitted to trying to keep his habit private, saying, “I don’t do it in front of children to avoid being a bad influence on them. Sometimes someone takes a hidden photo of me behind trees where I can’t see them. It doesn’t depend on me; I try to hide it and not show it.”

Szczęsny was firm about his personal choices, declaring, “If someone thinks I’ll change my way of being in my personal life, they can think again, because I am who I am.” He emphasized, “I want to be judged as a goalkeeper and not for seeking stories where ‘it doesn’t matter to anyone’.”

Regarding his move to Barcelona, Szczęsny expressed his surprise and excitement. “If someone had told me a month ago that I would be playing for Barcelona, I would have laughed non-stop. When the phone rings and the situation becomes real, then the decision is yours alone. You can think, reflect, but in the end, the truth is you can’t say no to Barça.”

He added, “If you say no to such a big club, it means you don’t have enough courage to face a challenge like this. I have the same passion as always, and I believe I can contribute to Barcelona, which is why I accepted.”

Szczęsny also shared his impressions of his new teammates, particularly praising young defender Pau Cubarsí: “Cubarsí was impressive to me. After seeing him on TV, I expected him to be a modern, elegant defender with the ball, but softer. When you see him live, he’s actually not soft at all and makes great decisions.”