Six months ago Wojciech Szczesny was enjoying the golf courses and beaches of Marbella, content in retirement after a successful career that had taken him to some of Europe's biggest clubs and earned him 84 caps for Poland.
Then he got a call from Barcelona boss Hansi Flick. The German had an injury crisis after first-choice goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen suffered a long-term knee injury. Flick asked Szczesny if he would consider coming out of retirement to act as back-up to Inaki Pena.
Szczesny was happy to answer the call. But so impressive have the 34-year-old's performances been that he was promoted ahead of Pena in the pecking order.
His shutout against Benfica in the Uefa Champions League first leg was his eighth in 14 games. The Spanish club hold a slender lead ahead of the return leg on Tuesday and goalkeeper Szczesny deserves a fair share of the credit for it.
Pedri was named man of the match in Barca's 1-0 win in Lisbon last Wednesday but Polish veteran Szczesny said he merited at least "half" of the trophy, and the Spaniard said his teammate should have it.
The goalkeeper will get another chance to win one himself at the Olympic Stadium with Portuguese visitors Benfica needing to go on the attack to turn the tie around.
With Barcelona down to 10 men in the first leg after Pau Cubarsi's early red card, Szczesny made several fine saves to help the Catalans hold on after Raphinha sent them ahead.
"He is fantastic, he helped us a lot, that is his job, we cannot hide it," said Flick.
In August last year the former Arsenal goalkeeper hung up his boots and gloves, agreeing to terminate his deal with Juventus before heading to the south of Spain to enjoy his new life.
"In September I was retired from football and I was enjoying my life on the beaches and golf courses of Marbella," said Szczesny on Instagram in January, after winning the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia.
The goalkeeper was sent off in the final against Real Madrid, accepting he made a "bad decision".
Later that month he also committed two glaring errors in Barca's thrilling 5-4 group stage win over Benfica, but in the weeks since has improved rapidly, with Flick maintaining his faith in him.
Szczesny has now played 14 times for Barcelona across all competitions, with the club winning 12 of those matches and drawing the other two, despite his early wobbles.
Szczesny's solid performances between the sticks have underpinned Barcelona's revival after a dismal end to 2024.
With a run of four defeats in seven league games, the Catalans threw away their advantage in La Liga, usurped by Atletico Madrid in the final match before the winter break.
Szczesny has started every Barcelona match in 2025 bar two, one of which he was suspended for after the Super Cup dismissal.
Pena had started well after stepping in for the injured Ter Stegen but despite making no obvious mistakes, did not inspire full confidence in the defenders ahead of him.
Flick said watching Szczesny on a daily basis at the training ground, he began to see that the veteran stopper could perform at a higher level.
"When you watch players in training, you get a feeling, I discuss it with my staff, I see how the players work and what level they can reach," said Flick on Friday.
"It was clear to everyone that Szczesny could reach this level. We all knew it. I make the decisions, but I talk with my coaching staff."
The coach received his reward with Szczesny's first leg display against Benfica.
However, when asked if it was his best performance for Barcelona, the goalkeeper produced a cool response.
"It is still to come, don't worry," Szczesny told Movistar, with Barca fighting on three fronts for major trophies.
Barcelona are favourites to progress against Benfica given their first leg lead, and the winner of the tie will face Borussia Dortmund or Lille in the quarter-finals.
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The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
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Australia (15-1): Israel Folau; Dane Haylett-Petty, Reece Hodge, Kurtley Beale, Marika Koroibete; Bernard Foley, Will Genia; David Pocock, Michael Hooper (capt), Lukhan Tui; Adam Coleman, Izack Rodda; Sekope Kepu, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Tom Robertson.
Replacements: Tolu Latu, Allan Alaalatoa, Taniela Tupou, Rob Simmons, Pete Samu, Nick Phipps, Matt Toomua, Jack Maddocks.
Race 3
Produced: Salman Khan Films and Tips Films
Director: Remo D’Souza
Cast: Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Bobby Deol, Daisy Shah, Saqib Salem
Rating: 2.5 stars
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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