Szczęsny opens up about his childhood: "As a child, I was afraid of my father because he humiliated me"

Wojciech Szczęsny, a well-known European football goalkeeper, revealed one of the toughest parts of his life — his relationship with his father.

In an interview with 'GQ' magazine, the Polish goalkeeper explained why he decided to return to football by signing with FC Barcelona after initially planning to retire.

He admitted that during his first season at Barcelona he played for free, as part of his contract payments went to settling obligations with Juventus.

Szczęsny also spoke about weight control among footballers: players are not allowed to gain weight and there are financial penalties for that. He confessed he enjoys eating and had even set the record for body fat percentage at Barcelona.

The goalkeeper shared details about his difficult relationship with his father, former goalkeeper Maciej Szczęsny. As a child, Wojciech was afraid not because of physical punishment but because his father deliberately humiliated him publicly, making him feel ashamed and ask, "Dad, why do you do this to me?"

Wojciech also dismissed the idea that his career as a goalkeeper was predetermined: he originally wanted to be a forward, but the coaches decided he would play as a goalkeeper.