Szczesny reveals: ‘I played my first year at Barcelona to pay what I owed Juventus’ | OneFootball

Wojciech Szczesny has opened up about the extraordinary circumstances surrounding his move from Juventus to Barcelona, revealing that his first season in Spain was practically unpaid.

Speaking to GQ Poland, with quotes via CalcioMercato, the Polish goalkeeper explained that after leaving Juventus, he had even considered retiring from football.

“Three days before officially announcing my retirement, I told Lewy I didn’t want to play for any club… unless it was Barcelona,” Szczesny said.

BARCELONA, SPAIN – APRIL 30: Henrikh Mkhitaryan of FC Internazionale scores a goal past Wojciech Szczesny of FC Barcelona that is later disallowed due to an offside offence during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Semi Final First Leg match between FC Barcelona and FC Internazionale Milano at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on April 30, 2025 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

“When they called, they probably knew it would be easy to convince me. I hadn’t lost my passion for football, I just wasn’t enthusiastic about the offers from top-ten clubs. It wasn’t about negotiating the price… I didn’t want to play just for money.”

Szczesny played for free for a year at Barcelona after leaving Juventus

In fact, Szczesny’s first year at Barcelona was essentially free.

“Everything I received financially from the club was exactly what I needed to pay back Juventus for ending my contract early,” he admitted.

BARCELONA, SPAIN – MARCH 11: Wojciech Szczesny of FC Barcelona acknowledges the fans after the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Round of 16 Second Leg match between FC Barcelona and SL Benfica at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on March 11, 2025 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Before the move, Szczesny had been demoted to second-choice behind new signing Di Gregorio at Juventus. After seven years and eight trophies with the club, he decided to terminate his contract a year early. While there was a clause requiring him to pay €2 million, that sum matched the salary Barcelona offered him, making the transfer seamless.

Szczesny’s candid interview sheds light on the unique path that led him from Juventus disappointment to a new adventure at one of Europe’s biggest clubs, and the personal sacrifices he made to make it happen.