The difficult management of Ter Stegen and Szczesny

BarcelonaWojciech Szczesny was playing golf with his son when his phone rang. It was his agent, offering him the chance to play for Barça to replace Marc-André ter Stegen, who was injured. The surprise was huge. He had retired in the summer and was enjoying retirement with his family in Marbella, but the challenge of playing again and doing so for a team that was promising—Hansi Flick's project had just begun but was making a good start to La Liga—also appealed to him.

The Polish goalkeeper, who was 34 at the time, He joined Barça ten days after Ter Stegen's injury. who was undergoing surgery and beginning a long recovery process. However, Szczesny's arrival at Sant Joan Despí wasn't easy. The months of inactivity took their toll, and those at the Ciutat Esportiva de Barcelona recall that, in the first training sessions, they would put their hands on their heads and wonder if they had made a mistake with his inclusion. It was just a matter of time. Flick trusted Iñaki Peña until Tek was ready to compete. His debut took a couple of months, until the Copa del Rey Round of 32 in Barbastro. Since then, he has played in every game, except for the Getafe-Barça match in January and the Valladolid-Barça match on May 3, the day on which Ter Stegen, now recovered, returned to the starting lineup.

In Dortmund, the day Szczesny gave his first and only press conference as a Barça player, the goalkeeper spoke about his role in the team and made it clear, elegantly, that he had come to replace an injured teammate and that when Ter Stegen was ready, he would step aside. The club assures that the goalkeeper's words were not for show. He spoke with his hand on his heart. But the problems aren't coming from his side but from Ter Stegen, who isn't taking well the fact that he's been left without playing time once he's recovered.

"The problem is that Ter Stegen is not yet 100% fit to compete. He may be medically recovered, but he lacks rhythm," one of the sources consulted by ARA told ARA. That's why Flick has maintained his confidence in Ter Stegen in recent matches, starting with the Copa del Rey final, which was played the day after the German – and Barça's first captain since the summer – was given the all-clear. "He didn't make it easy. He's made ugly faces and seems angry on a daily basis. Flick has had to intervene to manage the situation," say dressing room sources.

Ter Stegen traveled to Seville and, despite not playing, lifted the Copa del Rey alongside Ronald Araujo. In the Super Cup in January, while he was still recovering, the goalkeeper also went to Saudi Arabia and lifted the Super Cup with Araujo. However, in the second leg of the semi-final in Milan, Ter Stegen decided not to accompany the expedition, claiming he was not registered for the Champions League. His absence contrasted with Kounde, who did travel despite being injured.

Flick intervenes to prevent the conflict with Ter Stegen from getting out of hand.

Aware that the situation could spiral out of control, and to avoid a debate that could only bring him trouble, Flick made it clear in a press conference that Szczesny would play in the Cup final, the decisive Champions League knockout rounds, and the La Liga derby. However, he left open the possibility that Ter Stegen would regain his starting spot in the final competitive matches. With victory against Madrid and La Liga just around the corner, it wouldn't be surprising if the Mönchengladbach goalkeeper started the derby at the RCDE Stadium. Especially if Madrid slips up on Wednesday and the Catalans are already mathematically champions.

Szczesny, who conceded three goals but made some good saves in the derby, couldn't hold back his tears once the referee blew his whistle. The gesture surprised everyone, including his teammates, because it contrasted with the image they had of him, as if he were immune to any pressure. The gesture was interpreted as a farewell, as Tek's contract expires in the summer. However, the club has opened the door for him to continue playing for Barça.

"It's a very unusual situation. The initial intention was to come here for a year and then go back to playing golf. I don't know what I'll do; I'll decide in the coming weeks; for now, I'm just enjoying the day-to-day," Szczesny said in a statement to Canal+ Poland. Barça has offered him a two-year contract in a 1+1 format. The question is what role he would have: would he be a substitute for the entire season, would he play in a competition like the Cup, or would he have a real chance of competing with Ter Stegen for the position?

If Tek ultimately stays, the club would have the Pole and the German as two first-team goalkeepers and would look for a way out for Iñaki Peña. A goalkeeper who, thanks to his good performances this season, has risen in value. Thus, the third goalkeeper would be Diego Kochen, the 19-year-old American who has played for the Barcelona reserve team since 2019 and who at the Ciudad Deportiva is seen as a strong candidate to become a first-team starter in the not-too-distant future.