Jacek Rutkowski, who served as Wojciech Szczesny’s first coach at Agrykola Warszawa, has said Barcelona must allow the former Juventus goalkeeper “three or four weeks” to regain match fitness. Rutkowski also said he was not surprised that the Polish goalkeeper dropped retirement plans to represent the Blaugrana.
Barcelona Must Wait For Wojciech Szczesny, Says Jacek Rutkowski
According to reports, Barcelona has signed Szczesny as a free agent to fill in for the injured Marc-Andre ter Stegen. Szczesny, who announced his retirement in August 2024, will try to use his experience to help Barca navigate the challenges of the upcoming season.
The former Arsenal shot-stopper is raring to play for the Blaugrana, but Rutkowski believes he will not be able to feature in an important game before returning to fighting shape. Speaking Polish outlet Fakt (via Barca Blaugranes), he said:
“Although 34 is not an age for a goalkeeper, Wojciech will certainly need three or four weeks of training to get back to his pre-retirement condition. The muscles and tendons have been used to being exercised over the years and functioned differently when he did nothing.
“He needs to restore them to their ‘factory state’. One thing I am sure of: Wojciech will not be in goal if he is not sure he is ready. He is coming back to reinforce and defend Barça in a few games. He will surely not allow himself to go out on the field on his debut if he is not 100% convinced of his performance.”
Rutkowski Not Surprised to See Szczesny Come Out of Retirement
Rutkowski also discussed Szczesny’s decision to reverse his retirement, saying he did not find it surprising.
“I expected Wojciech wouldn’t last long without the ball. After a while he would miss the adrenaline, the dressing room, the high-risk matches and he would come back,” added Rutkowski.
“It actually happened very quickly, but name me one player who would turn down Barcelona’s offer? Wojciech probably assumed he would end his career at Juventus. Now that Barca have approached him it’s no wonder he was tempted. Besides, Barcelona is more than just a club. It’s a legend, magic, a way of life.”
According to Polish sports journalist Tomasz Wlodarczyk, the goalkeeper will sign his one-year contract with Barcelona on Wednesday, October 2. He could be in the stands to watch his new team in action against Young Boys on Tuesday night.
