Barcelona pleasantly surprised by new signing’s fitness level
Wojciech Szczesny arrived at FC Barcelona last week and has signed a contract until the end of the season. However, his arrival came with understandable questions regarding his fitness.
After all, the 34-year-old has not played since UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany and announced his retirement in August after his contract with Juventus ended.
Naturally, there were also concerns about how long it would take for Szczesny to be match fit and ready for Barça.
Barcelona were pleasantly surprised
Now, according to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona have been pleasantly surprised by the level of fitness Szczesny has shown since joining last week.
As mentioned above, Szczesny announced his retirement and subsequently settled with his family in his home in Marbella.
Szczesny is said to be in good condition. (Photo provided by: FC Barcelona official website)
However, a call from Barcelona changed the goalkeeper’s plans and he made a U-turn from retirement and accepted the Catalan’s offer.
The veteran Pole has been in surprisingly good form since joining the club. Contrary to expectations, he has maintained his fitness during his unofficial retirement, with teammates even describing him as looking great.
Club officials are confident that he will be ready to play immediately, especially with the next two weeks of international break allowing him to develop further.
In addition to regular training sessions, Szczesny also does strength training in the gym and training at the goal.
The report says the 34-year-old has been working on his fitness since the start of August, but what he needed was to get his instincts back between the sticks. And all signs point to him being ready to play for Barcelona soon.
