In a stunning display of resilience, Barcelona achieved one of their most remarkable victories in recent history, illustrating their strength over the past 125 years. This victory is all the more remarkable given the performance of Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, who seemed determined to scupper his team with a series of unfortunate errors. While a defeat would have inevitably led to Szczesny being singled out as the primary culprit, the thrilling 4-5 win allowed him to escape that sticky situation, turning what could have been a tragic narrative into a source of amusement for fans who look back on his blunders. If Szczesny was considering quitting that morning, those thoughts were certainly swept away as he imagined himself enjoying a cigarette on the hotel terrace, enjoying the beautiful Lisbon night. Indeed, it was a bad night to consider quitting.
His addiction to tobacco seems strangely old-fashioned, evoking images of the 1970s when smoking was less stigmatized. Legends have it that Johan Cruyff smoked at halftime of matches, as did German player Paul Breitner. Over the decades, although some footballers continued to struggle with cigarettes, they tended to hide it. One of my fondest memories is when Italian defender Francesco Coco asked me for a cigarette at Santander airport after a match against Racing. The moment seemed more of a secret confession than a harmless request, revealing the complexities of the players’ off-field habits. The 1994 Bulgarian national team, smoke-shrouded Kluivert and Reiziger, and the odious Frenchman Mathieu added to the legend of tobacco in the sport. Thus, Szczesny positions himself as the heir to this long, albeit controversial, tradition.
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The pressing question now is not which brand of tobacco Szczesny prefers, but why coach Hansi Flick chose him over the more regular Iñaki Peña for the starting job. Reports from the dressing room suggest Szczesny has regained his competitive spirit in training following his brief retirement from football at Marbella. In addition, his experience in a young team was considered valuable. Nonetheless, this raises the question of whether Flick, known for his fairness, neglected to apply this same principle to Iñaki Peña.
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Peña’s first match as a substitute was due to a minor disciplinary infraction; he arrived late for a technical meeting, prompting Flick — a German given to management tropes — to impose an appropriate punishment. The next match, the Supercopa de España final, saw a more enigmatic decision; the coach chose Szczesny without apparent explanation, despite Peña’s solid performances. This was surprising, as Szczesny had not performed badly in the semi-final against Athletic, masking his careless sending off against Madrid amid a crushing defeat that sparked unnecessary debate over the goalkeeping position. Flick seems to have created a dilemma that didn’t exist before. On Tuesday, a Greek striker named Pavlidis scored three goals against the coach’s favorite goalkeeper in just half an hour — a rare occurrence, it must be said. Generally, we don’t remember a Greek player scoring a hat-trick against Barcelona in such a short time. With Szczesny sidelined on two of the three goals, it set a new precedent for uncertainty. What appeared to be a reinvigorated goaltender now sees both him and Peña at a crossroads in their careers. The priority now is to keep Iñaki away from the pitfalls of smoking, as they navigate the complexities of their future on and off the field.
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