Szczesny Q&A: Lewandowski can’t afford to lose in table tennis; I studied Mbappe so I saved his penalty kick

October 30th Barcelona goalkeeper Szczesny participated in the team’s live broadcast today. During the program, he answered real-time questions from fans and also conducted a quick question and answer challenge.

Live broadcast to answer questions

How do you usually spend your free time?

Szczesny: I actually don’t have much free time when I am with the children. My free time is here. My work begins when I get home. Therefore, after get off work, I try to be a good father and spend time with my children. Two kids, right? One is seven years old and the other is one year old. It’s a different challenge, but definitely great. I love this job.

What are your thoughts on the penalty kicks saved by Messi and Mbappe?

Szczesny: I also saved Neymar’s penalty kick. So, it feels good. You don't really care about it during the game, it's just afterwards... When I'm 50 and have grandchildren, I can show them the list and tell them who missed the penalty in front of me. This feels good.

How to save penalty kicks from so many top players?

Szczesny: I have done a lot of research. Before every game, I watch the last 20 penalty kicks of the opponent's two or three penalty kickers and observe their shooting habits. Sometimes you can tell the clues from the run-up. Some people shoot differently at critical moments, or change when the team is leading/falling behind by a big score. So try to gather as much information as you can and then go with your instincts on the field.

Have you studied Mbappe before the national derby?

Szczesny: Yes, obviously, because that's what he did when he took a penalty kick against me last time. He was in good condition at the time. I guessed that he would kick it on this side and then pray that he could save it. Fortunately, I did.

What do you think of Barcelona's young players?

Szczesny: Overall, their skills in training were impressive. This surprised me the most compared to other teams I’ve been on before. Young players are all very good when they join the first team, and the biggest challenge is playing time. Not everyone is as ready to play in the top flight as Yamal was at 16, and some need to go elsewhere to gain experience before returning to Barcelona. But they all have potential and are very good.

How is it going with learning Catalan?

Szczesny: It went unexpectedly well, but I won’t share it publicly.

Let’s talk about something that fans don’t know about Lewandowski.

Szczesny: He can’t afford to lose in table tennis. He's not bad, but he can't accept losing. I beat him, so I know. He always makes excuses: the wind is too strong, someone is talking, the ground is too slippery... He hates losing.

Someone thinks you are a capybara. Do you know capybaras?

Szczesny: I don’t think so, but I am really calm on the court and almost turn off all emotions. It's a pity that both the positive and negative ones are closed. But I focused on what was right in front of me, and I discovered early in my career that emotions didn’t help me.

There are some meditation tips to share. I do breathing exercises before every game and at halftime, and when I do it in the locker room, people look a little weird at me, but I don’t care. Sometimes someone wants to high-five me and I'm still breathing... I recommend practicing breathing in extreme situations, like extreme heat or cold.

How does Rashford perform at Barcelona?

Szczesny: He is great, I like him. He's been involved in a lot of goals and I've always found him to be very complete. When he emerged in the Premier League at the age of 18 or 19, I felt there was something special about him. But he can score more goals. When he's in good form in training he's unstoppable. It would be very dangerous if he showed more of that magic in his game, like that sudden long-range shot against Newcastle.

Quick Question and Answer Session

What is your hidden talent?

can play the piano and is not bad at singing.

Favorite moment from the game?

The final whistle sounded and we won. Absolutely the best, relieved: "Oh, we won."

What was going through your head when you took the penalty kick?

Analysis of the previous day. Sometimes it depends on who takes the kick, how he plays under pressure, and then makes a decision.

The funniest prank in the locker room?

I don’t really do it. The outside world thinks that players always play tricks on each other, but this is not the case. It's just a group of people in their 20s playing together, not that exaggerated.

Who is the most famous contact on your mobile phone? Can you call him?

You can fight, but don’t fight...it’s Cristiano Ronaldo. I hope he doesn't answer the call.

What are the top five goalkeepers in history?

Buffon, Lehmann, Neuer, Cech, myself (just kidding, but I want to be on someone else’s list).

Which one should brush your teeth or drink water first in the morning?

Water → toothpaste → water. How to squeeze toothpaste without water? Incomprehensible.