Arsenal ‘fan’ Wojciech Szczesny responds when asked about Gunners winning Champions League ahead of Barcelona this season
Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny admitted he would not like Arsenal to win the Champions League ahead of his side, despite being their fan. The Polish shot-stopper hails from the Gunners' youth academy and played for them between 2009 and 2017.
Wojciech Szczesny is best known for his time at Juventus (2017-2024). However, he played for Arsenal for eight seasons before joining the Serie A giants. He made 181 appearances for the Gunners across competitions, maintaining 72 clean sheets. He won two FA Cups with the North London club.
After temporarily announcing his retirement in August 2024, he returned to football to join Barcelona on a one-year deal. The agreement came after the Catalans' starting goalkeeper Marc Andre ter Stegen picked up a season-ending injury in September last year. Szczesny is currently an undisputed starter for La Blaugrana, having made 25 appearances for them across tournaments.
In an interview ahead of the Copa del Rey final, Wojciech Szczesny opened up about his love for his former club Arsenal. However, he hoped they do not win the Champions League over his current side this season.
"Being an Arsenal fan is constant suffering, but the suffering I love. I'm one of those crazy fans. I watch every match and Arteta's press conferences. I support them, but I hope Arsenal don't win the Champions League this season," Szczesny said (via Barca Universal).
The Gunners have been exceptional in the UCL this season and are set to face Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the semi-finals. They beat Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals to secure their place in the penultimate stage of the competition. If the Gunners beat PSG and Barcelona beat Inter in the semi-finals, they might face each other in the final.
Have Barcelona and Arsenal faced each other in the Champions League?
Barcelona and Arsenal have clashed against each other nine times in the UEFA Champions League. The Catalans have won six times while the Gunners have won only once against them. The remaining two games ended in stalemates.
Their first clash came in the 1999-2000 season group stages. They drew 1-1 in their first meeting, while Barcelona won 4-2 in the second group stage clash. Their next meeting marks Arsenal's only appearances in a UCL final in the 2005-06 season. The Catalans beat the Gunners 2-1 in the match and won their second UCL title in history.
Another notable clash came in the 2009-10 season quarter-finals, where La Blaugrana beat the Gunners 6-3 on aggregate. The clash is fondly remembered by Culers for the second leg, when Lionel Messi famously scored four times against the Gunners.
Their last two clashes came in the 2010-11 and 2015-16 seasons, respectively, both of which were during the Round of 16. In the 2010-11 campaign, Barcelona won 4-3 on aggregate. However, the Round of 16 first leg was the only time the North London club beat the Catalan giants 2-1 in the Champions League.
Finally, the two European giants last faced each other in the 2015-16 season Round of 16. The Gunners lost 5-1 to the Catalans. They are close to facing each other once again this season, if both qualify for the final.
