WARSAW, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, who signed a contract with FC Barcelona, admitted that "he needs some time to understand what happened," as he didn't expect to change his decision about the retirement.
On Wednesday, FC Barcelona confirmed the signing of Szczesny to provide cover for the injured Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
The 34-year-old Pole was in the stands for Barca's 5-0 win at home to Young Boys in the Champions League on Tuesday night and has agreed to a contract until the end of the 2024-25 season, despite announcing his retirement from the professional game in the summer.
"I stay calm. Simultaneously I have to admit that I was really surprised when I got an offer from FC Barcelona and I accepted it. I need some time to understand what really happened as I didn't expect such a scenario," Szczesny told Polish media Foot Truck on Friday.
"If Ter Stegen had caught an injury two weeks later, I wouldn't have returned to the pitch. Honestly, It was last call for me to change my decision about the retirement. To be fair, I don't know how much time I need to prepare well for the return. However, my family reacted very positively after the proposal from FC Barcelona and it was crucial to make that movement," the goalkeeper added.
Szczesny believes that "he will be ready for big challenges in Barcelona." However, the player doesn't even think about a comeback to the national team.
"I declare that I'm not returning to the Poland team. On October 12, I will play a farewell match against Portugal in Warsaw. If I changed my mind now about international football and wanted to play for Poland again, it would be unfair to the goalkeepers, who are fighting for a place between the posts," Szczesny concluded. ■
