Szczesny is a difficult name to pronounce in many countries. But among Arsenal and Juventus fans, they will be used to it. Polish fans have it easier, but it was more difficult for them to accept his decision to retire from the sport last summer.
Before EURO 2024, he announced that it was his last tournament. He would probably have preferred that his farewell was not to be the shootout defeat against Austria. But it proved to not be.
Back from retirement and onto the bench
It was certain that Szczesny would stay in the public eye for a long time: his career and sensible investments had made him one of the richest Poles. He could even wave his hand without regret at the offer from Saudi Arabia.
He let go of sharing the dressing room with Cristiano Ronaldo, but a return to play with Robert Lewandowski at the great Barcelona proved too strong a temptation. The offer came after an emergency - the Pole had become the beneficiary of Marc-Andre ter Stegen's injury.
Szczesny was out of the game for a long time so a quick debut was out of the question. He watched as many as 14 consecutive Barcelona appearances from the bench.
There were suggestions in Spain that Szczesny was losing patience and that his son and wife were not happy in Catalonia. But Hansi Flick was reassuring, saying Szczesny would play.
Szczesny's chance
Szczesny didn't get to make his debut in 2024 as his rival Inaki Pena, who was praised by Flick, did well between the sticks. But the Pole eventually got his chance in the first match of the new year, with Barcelona facing Barbastro in the Copa del Rey.
It seemed that he would have to wait until the next round of the Copa del Rey for another chance, with Pena set to play in the Spanish Super Cup. But surprisingly, before the semi-final against Athletic Bilbao, news circulated in the media that the Spaniard was late for a meeting, something that Hansi Flick doesn't tolerate, and so the German put his faith in Szczesny.
Not the perfect start
Against Bilbao, he made a few mistakes which led to two goals, but in the end, he kept a clean sheet as the goals were ruled out. In his second match, he had another clean sheet.
His third game was a challenge of the highest calibre - it was time for his debut in El Clasico in the Spanish Super Cup final. There, things were no longer so positive.
The match started with a goal from Kylian Mbappe, but then his teammates stepped up, putting five past Real Madrid. With the score at 5-1, it seemed that there would be no more excitement, but Szczesny had something to say about that.
He stepped outside the penalty area, fouled Mbappe and received a red card in the 56th minute. In the end, it did not affect the result, as Barcelona won 5-2 and Szczesny could celebrate his first title after returning from retirement.
After being suspended and spending the league clash against Getafe on the sidelines, he returned and made his Champions League debut in Blaugarna colours. It was a disaster.
He had a horror show of a first half, making several mistakes to help Benfica take a 3-1 lead. The second half was a different version of Szczesny, however, who made a great save from Angel Di Maria at the end of the match with the score at 4-4.
In the end, Barcelona won 5-4, which overshadowed Szczesny's nightmare first 45 minutes. Despite criticism from fans and experts, he again came out in the first team for Valencia, making his LaLiga debut.
Szczesny didn't have much to do, but he did again concede a penalty. VAR came to his rescue, however, spotting a foul on another Blaugrana player earlier in the action. In the end, Barcelona won 7-1.
His last performance against Atalanta wasn't as dramatic. Although he let in two goals, he didn't make any errors. There was, however, a moment of hesitation when receiving the ball in the penalty area, but he dealt with it in the end. Barcelona failed to win for the first time with him in the team, as they drew 2-2.
The stats back him, but for how long?
From September to the end of 2024, he did not play a single game, while in January, he played six times. Too few to get a full picture of his current form, but already a solid sample. Two clean sheets and as many as eight conceded goals (half of them in the incredible match against Benfica) are not the most impressive numbers.
14 shots saved and eight goals doesn't look good, although his defensive colleagues carry some responsibility. Szczesny maintains a 100% success rate in saving shots from distance (tested five times) and has been good coming out of his goal (he even has a won aerial duel).
In total, the Pole recorded 179 accurate passes, an average of 90.5%, which rises to 95% if you only count balls played in his own half. Impressive? No, but solid.
What you don't see in the stats, the fans see on the pitch: Szczesny takes risks that can be costly, yet he is a good shot-stopper. There is no talk of love for Szczesny in Catalonia as his arrival was supposed to be a temporary affair at most.
With a few months left on his contract, the question of his future is left open. Ter Stegen is due to return in May, so the ongoing rivalry between Szczesny and Pena today is a battle for second fiddle at most. After Wednesday's game, Szczesny admitted that he wants to help Pena, as he is the future of the Blaugrana. But he will certainly still be hoping to show his own worth at Barcelona.