Former Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has described the Gunners’ Premier League title triumph as a “big relief” after admitting it fulfilled a dream he was unable to achieve during his own time in north London.
Speaking in a wide-ranging interview, the Barcelona veteran reflected on his Arsenal career, his emotional connection with the club and the challenges he faced after leaving the Emirates Stadium.
Szczesny revealed he closely followed Arsenal throughout their title-winning campaign despite now entering his third season with Barcelona.
The 36-year-old admitted he found last season’s UEFA Champions League final defeat painful to watch, but said ending the club’s 22-year wait for the Premier League crown made up for that disappointment.
“I suffered a lot during the Champions League final,” Szczesny said. “But to win the Premier League after 22 years… it’s a big relief because I’ve waited for it for a very long time.”
The former Poland international believes Mikel Arteta has built one of Europe’s strongest teams after transforming Arsenal into champions.
“I’m very happy they built a project of probably one of the best clubs in Europe,” he added.
Szczesny spent 11 years on Arsenal’s books after joining from Legia Warsaw as a teenager, making 181 first-team appearances before leaving for Juventus in 2017.
Although he won two FA Cups and the Community Shield, the Premier League title always eluded him.
“It still hurts because it’s the one trophy that I haven’t won in professional football that I would have loved to win… winning the Premier League with Arsenal,” he admitted.
Despite that regret, Szczesny insists Arsenal remains the club closest to his heart.
“Arsenal is a place where I made my dream come true,” he said. “It will probably always be the most beautiful part of my career.”
The goalkeeper also explained how playing for the club he supported as a boy made handling defeats particularly difficult.
“I played for a club at a very young age that I also supported as a fan,” he said. “Every time we won games, I celebrated as a player and as a fan, and when we lost, I suffered as both.”
Szczesny revealed he later turned to meditation and breathing exercises to detach emotionally from football, believing it helped improve his performances after leaving Arsenal.
Since retiring briefly following his Juventus exit in 2024, the veteran has enjoyed an unexpected revival at Barcelona, where he has added further league titles and domestic trophies to his collection.
Even so, Arsenal’s recent success clearly continues to resonate.
With Arteta’s side preparing to defend their Premier League crown this season, Szczesny believes his former club are now firmly established among Europe’s elite once again.