It is just over a decade since Wojciech Szczesny made his senior Wembley debut and had his moment to forget. It was the League Cup final, he was 20 years old and making a strong claim to become his then club, Arsenal’s undisputed first-choice goalkeeper.
The opposition were Birmingham City. Arsenal had come into the final clear favourites. But at 1-1, with extra-time approaching, there was nervousness. It afflicted Arsenal horribly in the 89th minute, when a miscommunication between the young goalkeeper and defender Laurent Koscielny allowed Obafemi Martins, of Birmingham, to pounce between them and score the winning goal.
Szczesny returns to Wembley on Wednesday night with his national team, Poland, assured that trauma is a long way behind him. The stadium has been relatively kind in the years since, the site of two FA Cup triumphs, and he will be able to retrace those memories with Lukasz Fabianski, his fellow Poland goalkeeper, as expert witness. The two glovemen once jousted at Arsenal for the role of senior keeper, and have rotated the position from time to time as joint No 1s for their country.
That can be an awkward relationship for goalkeeping teammates: they are crucial training-ground allies, but compete for the one role in the matchday XI which is absolutely exclusive. Szczesny, 30, and Fabianski, five years older, are said to have managed the alliance well over the years, and if the younger man has gradually overtaken the older one in the national squad’s hierarchy, he knows status is never permanently guaranteed for a goalkeeper.
Szczesny has had to measure himself, close up, against some very fine keepers throughout his career. It started early. His father, Maciej, was a Poland international. Elder brother Jan played professionally. Wojciech was scouted by Arsenal at the age of 15, and worked his way up, via some shuttling of the No 1 position with Fabianski – now of West Ham United – to become the club’s preferred custodian by his mid-20s, brave, agile but occasionally prone to a rush of blood.
He shared the Premier League’s Golden Gloves prize for most clean sheets with Chelsea’s Petr Cech in 2013-14, at which point Fabianski moved on, seeking an opportunity at Swansea City.
A year later Cech joined Arsenal, abruptly displacing Szczesny. So began Szczesny’s Italian adventure, two seasons on loan at Roma where he impressed, maintaining his position as first-choice in Serie A matches even ahead of Alisson Becker, now of Liverpool.
Juventus, the serial Italian champions, swooped, though it was clear that the move would confront Szczesny with perhaps the biggest impediment possible to establishing himself in the first XI: Gianluigi Buffon was still at Juve.
Aged 43, Buffon is a colleague even now, although such is Szczesny’s ownership of the Juventus jersey – which he established when Buffon left for a season at Paris Saint-Germain – the great Italian is very much the understudy. So much so that Buffon is reportedly looking again for a move, even at his advanced age, because he’d like more minutes on the pitch before he eventually retires.
At Juventus Szczesny has won three league titles, a collection that endorses his status in Polish football. “Poland have two world-class players, Robert Lewandowski and Szczesny,” says the former Poland keeper Jan Tomaszewski, himself a national hero, partly because of his heroics in a fabled Wembley draw in 1973 that took Poland to a World Cup at England’s expense. “We are stronger in the goalkeeping position than England are.”
On Wednesday night, to the relief of England goalkeeper Nick Pope, Lewandowski will be missing with a knee injury. A portion of the side's leadership will thus pass on to the last line of defence, to an ex-Arsenal goalkeeper whose principal tasks include thwarting Harry Kane, of Tottenham Hotspur.
Kane hardly needs reminding that the keeper has a habit of stirring up the Arsenal-Spurs rivalry. Three years ago, on his last Wembley visit as back-up to Buffon in a Juventus win over Tottenham Champions League quarter-final, Szczesny engaged in some lively, provocative dialogue from the bench with Spurs supporters.
There will be no spectators this time, but there will be the sound of Szczesny’s voice, carrying loud and clear, instructing his defenders. Even as a youngster, he was assertive. As a serial club champion, he has earned the right to be heard.
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More on Quran memorisation:
AVOID SCAMMERS: TIPS FROM EMIRATES NBD
1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details
2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet
3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details
4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure
5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs (one-time passwords) with third parties
6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies
7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately
THE SPECS
Cadillac XT6 2020 Premium Luxury
Engine: 3.6L V-6
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 310hp
Torque: 367Nm
Price: Dh280,000
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
If you go
Flying
Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
The years Ramadan fell in May
What is a black hole?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
if you go
The flights
Air France offer flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to Cayenne, connecting in Paris from Dh7,300.
The tour
Cox & Kings (coxandkings.com) has a 14-night Hidden Guianas tour of Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. It includes accommodation, domestic flights, transfers, a local tour manager and guided sightseeing. Contact for price.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Squads
Pakistan: Sarfaraz Ahmed (c), Babar Azam (vc), Abid Ali, Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Hasnain, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz
Sri Lanka: Lahiru Thirimanne (c), Danushka Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Avishka Fernando, Oshada Fernando, Shehan Jayasuriya, Dasun Shanaka, Minod Bhanuka, Angelo Perera, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lakshan Sandakan, Nuwan Pradeep, Isuru Udana, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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'How To Build A Boat'
Jonathan Gornall, Simon & Schuster
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
