Barcelona veteran confesses he is learning something entirely new in his career | OneFootball

For a player who has made 252 appearances for Juventus, 181 for Arsenal, and 81 for AS Roma to admit that, at the age of 34, he is learning something entirely new in his football career at FC Barcelona is truly remarkable.

Wojciech Szczęsny hasn’t been at Barcelona for long. He might have been relaxing on a beach somewhere if not for Marc-André ter Stegen’s injury, but that’s how life presents opportunities—when you least expect them.

For much of his first few months at the club, the Polish veteran was a mere spectator but since the turn of 2025, he has seen regular games. Starting him against Benfica was a vote of confidence from Hansi Flick and a sign of things to come in the Champions League.

The 34-year-old had a horrendous first half at Estádio da Luz but redeemed himself with some spectacular saves in the second half. One thing that Szczęsny seems to be struggling with though is acting as a sweeping keeper.

Speaking to Canal + France (via Mundo Deportivo) after the game, the 34-year-old goalkeeper admitted that this was something he has never done in his professional career. He said:

“I’ve never played with such an advanced defensive line. Wenger demanded a lot from the goalkeeper, but here, the players are very far from me. Even at 34 years old, you can still learn. It’s a great experience.”

Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images

Twice during the game against the Portuguese side, Szczęsny made errors while attempting to sweep the ball. Despite this, he remained fearless in coming off his line throughout the match, even positioning himself ahead of Ronald Araújo and Pau Cubarsí on one occasion.

Despite his advancing age, Szczęsny’s desire to learn is quite amazing. He might not even be in the sport for much longer, once Ter Stegen returns and the season comes to an end and this desire is maybe what impresses Hansi Flick.

It remains to be seen if the 34-year-old continues to be the starter for Barcelona in Champions League games or if Hansi Flick goes back to Iñaki Peña. Let’s wait and see how it plays out going forward.