In a candid interview with Luca Toselli’s YouTube channel, former Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny shared some amusing insights into his time at the club, particularly regarding his interactions with Leonardo Bonucci.
Szczesny began by discussing his approach to pre-match preparation: “I hate excessive hype. I was very close to Matthijs De Ligt, and he was very similar to me in match preparation. He didn’t want to hear anything; we prepare to play our game. Motivation is a deep thing; if someone else has to pump you up, it’s not right. Either you have it inside you or… What can I tell you to make you give more? I prefer to be supportive of the guys. In the Juventus locker room today, there aren’t many who hype up the team, and for me, that’s the right way.”
The Polish goalkeeper then shared a humorous anecdote about Bonucci’s pre-match routine: “There was Bonucci, who is the exact opposite of us. He gets pumped up for every match. I was three seats away from Matthijs, and every time Leo went overboard, we’d look at each other and say, ‘No, not again.’ So we’d put on headphones to avoid hearing things. Then you’d talk to someone, and they’d turn around and tell you to ‘f*** off’.”
Szczesny also touched on why he was never given the captain’s armband at Juventus: “It could be an Allegri masterclass because the coach knows I don’t play too well when I’m too charged up. When I give a speech in the locker room because I’m too fired up, I don’t play well afterwards. He knows it, and I know it too. I remember the home game against Atalanta, which ended 3-3. A few days earlier, they had taken away our 15 points, and I was angry all week. I gave a very aggressive speech in the locker room, and after five minutes, I put the ball in our own net. Allegri understood that Tek needs to relax; when I’m too motivated, it’s not a good sign.”
