Wojciech Szczesny is one of the most well-liked and respected figures in the FC Barcelona locker room even though he is not a regular starter and has been at the club for only a year or so.
The 35-year-old Polish shot-stopper is seen as a mentor in the locker room that is as young as Barcelona’s.
However, in an interview with the Polish edition of GQ (h/t SPORT), he admitted that sometimes he feels like an unusual figure in the dressing room as he is twice the age of some teammates and at a very different stage of life.
The goalkeeper explained that although his age could make him a natural mentor, he does not feel comfortable in that role because many of the younger players know the club better, having come through Barcelona’s academy.
Even so, he understands why some might approach him for advice, thinking: “Mate, I know better because I’m 18 and I play for Barcelona, but what were you like at my age?”
Szczesny then spoke in detail about how he experienced the elimination against Inter Milan last season in the Champions League and how he consoled Gerard Martin, one of the players most affected by the 4-3 defeat in Milan.
Gerard Martin of FC Barcelona
Gerard Martin was heartbroken after the defeat to Inter. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
The full-back went through a night of sharp contrasts. He delivered a goal assist, but he was also involved in Inter’s equaliser in the 92nd minute, a move that began with a challenge from Denzel Dumfries that Gerard believed was a foul.
“I asked him, ‘Why are you crying?’ and he told me he lost the semi-final,” began Szczesny.
“So I reminded him of his own story. ‘Where were you two years ago? You were playing mediocre football in any old stadium. And today, mate, you played in the Champions League semi-final!'”
Szczesny recalls the moment he tried to lift Martin’s mood after the match, saying: “You’ll lose a hundred important games, you’ll win another hundred. But look where you are today.
“Mate, this is the San Siro, and today you were playing in the Champions League semi-final. You say we lost. Well, we lost, but look how far you’ve come.”
Further continuing, the veteran Pole recalled: “I take a drag. I wait. He has to process it. Finally, I see him straighten up and say, ‘Fuck, I even made an assist today!’ And he’s not crying anymore.
“He knows who he is. His pass was an assist in a Champions League semi-final. And when he walked out of that bathroom, that’s exactly how he felt. He knew how to stand tall and hold his head high.”