Latest news with #Szczesny
New York Times
10 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Barcelona, Ter Stegen and a new form of injury crisis. Plus: Wiegman's Burna Boy surprise
The Athletic FC is The Athletic's daily football (or soccer, if you prefer) newsletter. Sign up to receive it directly to your inbox. Alright folks? Barcelona are the gift that keeps on giving. Today, we bring you part 3,865 of their transfer melodrama. Coming up: 😨 Ter Stegen's Barca mischief 🎉 How the Lionesses celebrated 🧤 A tale of two goalkeepers 🤩 Goal(s) of the season already? One regular week of Barca, that's all we ask. July has been quite something, even by Barcelona's standards. If it's not their on-off pre-season tour in Asia, it's their on-off new stadium or, in a recurring theme, their on-off new players. The club's latest administrative escapade involves a veteran of 422 appearances, namely goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, whose time as Barcelona's No 1 and club captain appears to be coming to an end. Advertisement In literal terms, it may be over already — Joan Garcia, who joined from neighbours Espanyol this summer, wore the No 1 shirt during a friendly against Vissel Kobe in Japan on Sunday. Anyway, Ter Stegen is back on the treatment table, which is where he also spent most of last season (you may recall it led Barca to coax former Arsenal and Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny out of retirement). But exactly how long Ter Stegen, 33, is sidelined having undergone back surgery this week is very, very important. Barcelona have maxed out their domestic salary cap, but a four-month spell out would be enough for Ter Stegen to be regarded as a long-term absentee, according to La Liga's rulebook. That would then allow Barca to unlock 80 per cent of his wages to, you guessed it, register a new signing in their squad. Ideal. This situation happened last season, too, allowing Barcelona to register new attacker Dani Olmo after defender Andreas Christensen was sidelined with an Achilles tendon injury. A classic like-for-like replacement there. However, there is a spanner in the works this time in the form of Ter Stegen and his X account. The Germany international, who has no intention of leaving the club, posted an update on his recovery, giving a very specific timescale of… wait for it… three months. Barcelona's plans to register Ter Stegen's replacement may have been scuppered by their own player, unless doctors can convince La Liga's panel that Ter Stegen will, in fact, be out for at least four months. It's all a bit ludicrous, but this being Barcelona, you'd imagine they'll find a way. A penny for Marcus Rashford's thoughts, too — the Manchester United loanee hasn't yet been registered to play for Barca, and his first week at the Catalan club involved the brief postponement and then reinstatement of their trip halfway across the world to Japan. Oh, and Barcelona still don't know when they can move back into Camp Nou after two years away while the stadium is extensively renovated. Advertisement Our Barca man, Pol Ballus — who must find watching soap operas to be seriously mundane with their run-of-the-mill storylines — has been all over the latest madcap twists. And you just know they will probably still win La Liga and/or the Champions League in the coming season. Barca gonna Barca. 🖱️ Most clicked in yesterday's TAFC: Tim Weah's agent was not happy. England's victorious Lionesses have given us quite a few iconic moments in the past couple of weeks. Manager Sarina Wiegman's jaw hitting the floor when Burna Boy came onto the stage outside Buckingham Palace as part of their homecoming celebrations on Tuesday is right up there. The party hasn't stopped since the final on Sunday night and Charlotte Harpur has shared all the details of a few days the team will never forget, including their post-match celebrations in Switzerland, a reception at 10 Downing Street and then being greeted by a 65,000-strong crowd in London yesterday, with millions more watching at home. Incredible. We're in the height of the summer transfer window, so it's only right that The Athletic's latest star signing gets a proper fanfare. Henry Bushnell has joined as a senior writer in the United States, and was kind enough to pause his deep dive into mandatory HR induction videos to tell us his hopes and fears going into a crucial 12 months… What are the burning issues for U.S. soccer? The U.S. men's national team has regressed toward a 21st-century low. Major League Soccer hasn't tried to accelerate. The U.S. Soccer Federation is navigating a move to its new national training center in Atlanta, and doesn't seem prepared to truly capitalize. Everyone says and knows that the 2026 World Cup could be 'transformational.' But the burning issue is how those entities (plus many others) use the tournament's legacy to push the sport forward. Advertisement How can MLS continue to develop? Loosen roster restrictions and spend a lot more money on players. Which topic are you most excited to explore? The chaos of the 2026 World Cup. Some of it — the passion that inundates U.S. cities — will be glorious. Other issues — visa denials, exorbitant costs, America's allergy to public transport — could be a stain on the tournament, and are just as important to document. What is your biggest wish for soccer in the States? That the sport could be more accessible for kids, no matter their socioeconomic status. (And I look forward to exploring, and explaining to readers, why it currently isn't. Champions League second qualifying round, second leg: Panathinaikos (0) vs Rangers (2), 2pm/7pm — BBC (UK only) Leagues Cup group stage: Inter Miami vs Atlas, 7.30pm/12.30am; Club America vs Real Salt Lake, 9.30pm/2.30am — both Apple TV. The last football season has only just finished but we already have not one, but two goal-of-the-season contenders for the new one. In what was literally the first match of the 2025-26 English professional football campaign, Newport County produced a couple of stunners in their Carabao Cup preliminary round tie at Barnet last night. Cameron Antwi unleashed an airborne karate-kick volley and then Michael Reindorf planted an unsaveable beauty into the top part of the top corner just a few first-half minutes later. It was a cracking game, too — Barnet scored twice deep into stoppage time to level things up… and then Newport won on penalties. Football is back (after a few days off).
Metro
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Metro
Szczesny names surprise 'genius' as most impressive player he's ever seen
Over his career with the likes of Arsenal, Juventus and now Barcelona, Wojciech Szczesny has played with some legendary names but thinks one of his current teammates is the most impressive player he has ever seen. The 35-year-old won two FA Cups with the Gunners, three Serie A and three Coppa Italia titles with Juve and has now added a La Liga and Copa del Rey to his CV with Barca. He's played alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Pogba, Mesut Ozil, Robin van Persie, Mo Salah and Francesco Totti on loan at Roma and Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal at Barcelona. The goalkeeper will think highly of many of his teammates but one stands out above the rest. Szczesny has been blown away by the talent of Pedri, saying he has never seen a player have a season like the 22-year-old has just produced. The midfielder made 59 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona and the Pole says he has never been more impressed by a player. 'What Pedri did this season… I've never seen a season like that from any player,' Szczesny told Foot Truck. 'Watching him live, seeing how he controls the game both defensively and offensively… Incredible. 'He's the player who's impressed me the most in my entire life. I don't know what makes up his genius, but he doesn't lose the ball.' The Barcelona goalkeeper reckons Pedri deserves to win the Ballon d'Or as a result of his immense season, adding: 'For me, he was the best in the world.' Szczesny is not the only Barcelona star to recognise the brilliance of Pedri, with Raphinha describing him as the 'heart of the team' earlier this season. 'Pedri doesn't have many assists, he doesn't have a lot of goals… but for me, he's the most important player on our team,' said the Brazilian. 'I think he is the heart of the team.' More Trending Was this sport's greatest comeback? Manager Hansi Flick agreed, saying: 'Raphinha said Pedri is the heart of the team? Yes, exactly. Pedri is fantastic. When he touches the ball, you see real magic. He's getting better, constantly developing himself.' Former Barcelona chief Ramon Planes told Carrusel Deportivo of Pedri: 'From the moment he joined Barca… already in the second training session, Messi himself said, 'Where did we get this kid?' 'There was no doubt that he had to stay. In the first week, I told his agent to forget about going out on loan, that he was definitely going to stay in the Barca first team.' Pedri has attracted praise from outside of his club as well, with former Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos describing him as the best in the world in his position. Speaking via Mundo Deportivo, the German said: 'Pedri is generally a player who is greatly missed when he's not on the pitch. He doesn't just score goals or provide assists; he offers solutions. Beating opponents doesn't always have to be with a pass, but Pedri is one of the few midfielders who has the gift of dribbling past opponents in tight spaces. 'He's almost more important than Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, or Lewandowski. They are the ones who decide the outcome of matches, but to make that happen, Pedri is currently the best player in the world in his position, in my opinion.' MORE: Troy Deeney tips 'exceptional' Chelsea star for Barcelona or Real Madrid transfer MORE: Why Chelsea have been fined £78.5m by UEFA for breaching financial rules MORE: Barcelona's stance on signing Marcus Rashford after Nico Williams transfer snub
Business Upturn
08-07-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
Official: Szczesny signs new deal at Barca until June 2027
Wojciech Szczesny has officially signed a new deal at Barcelona which means the goalkeeper will stay at the club for two more years. By Ravi Kumar Jha Published on July 8, 2025, 08:38 IST Wojciech Szczesny has officially signed a new deal at Barcelona which means the goalkeeper will stay at the club for two more years. The deal is said to be ended in June 2027. The goalkeeper was signed as a replace for Ter Stegen when he got injured for long time, but Szczesny's performance has earned him this place and this deal at the club. Barcelona have officially announced that goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has signed a new contract that will keep him at the club until June 2027. The Polish international initially joined the Catalan giants as a short-term solution following Marc-André ter Stegen's long-term injury, but his impressive performances have now earned him a longer stay at the Camp Nou. Szczesny quickly established himself as a reliable presence between the posts, delivering consistent and commanding displays. His experience, leadership, and shot-stopping ability have played a crucial role in stabilizing Barcelona's backline during a challenging period. The new two-year extension is seen as a reward for his contributions and a sign of trust from the club's management. With Ter Stegen nearing a return, it remains to be seen how the goalkeeping duties will be shared, but Szczesny's presence ensures strong competition and depth in the position. Ahmedabad Plane Crash Ravi kumar jha is an undergraduate student in Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia and Mass Communication. A media enthusiast who has a strong hold on communication and he also has a genuine interest in sports. Ravi is currently working as a journalist at
New Straits Times
08-07-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Barca's Szczesny renews contract, leaving Ter Stegen's future in doubt
BARCELONA, (Spain): Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has renewed his contract until 2027, the La Liga champions said yesterday (July 7). "The Polish goalkeeper staying is recognition and a prize for his great season between the sticks for Barca, after an unexpected arrival in a strange context," wrote the Catalan club in a statement. Szczesny had retired from football when Barcelona signed him in October to replace injured stopper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who was ruled out for most of the season with a ruptured patella tendon. The 35-year-old impressed as Barcelona won La Liga and the Copa del Rey, with Ter Stegen only returning to the squad in the final weeks of the season. Szczesny's decision to stay and Barca signing goalkeeper Joan Garcia from Espanyol earlier in the summer casts doubt over Ter Stegen's future at the club. The German international, 33, commands a high salary at Barcelona and Spanish media report the financially-struggling club would like to make savings in that regard. Barca signed Garcia from Espanyol for 26.34 million euros ($31 million) on a six-year deal in June, and also still have another goalkeeper in Inaki Pena on the books. — AFP
Qatar Tribune
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Szczesny agrees to two-year contract extension at Barcelona
PA Media/dpa London Wojciech Szczesny has agreed a two-year contract extension with Barcelona which will keep him at the Camp Nou until 2027. The former Arsenal goalkeeper has impressed since he came out of retirement to stand in for the injured Marc ter Stegen at the start of last season. In 30 appearances, the 35-year-old kept 14 clean sheets and was never on the losing side in La Liga as champions Barça finished four points clear of rivals Real Madrid. On Szczesny's response to ending his retirement in style, Barcelona said on their website on Monday: 'The Pole responded by showing he is still one of the best goalkeepers in European football. 'The Polish player's experience and maturity was a great help for coach Hansi Flick in a young and inexperienced Barca squad.' With the domestic treble at Barca last season, Szczesny has now claimed 14 trophies during his career - with more than 500 appearances.
