The goalkeeper position has been a revolving door for Barcelona this season. While Iñaki Peña initially held the role, his recent misconduct has opened the door for Wojciech Szczesny to take over. Heading into the second half of the 2024-25 season, coach Hansi Flick has made a strong decision on who will guard the net.

Barcelona faced an unexpected blow early in the season when starting goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen suffered a season-ending injury. With Peña as the only available option, the club turned to the free-agent market for reinforcements. Enter Szczesny, who came out of retirement in October to join the Catalan giants.

Despite Szczesny’s arrival, Peña solidified his role as the starter for the remainder of 2024, leaving the Polish veteran on the bench and unable to make his debut. That changed in January 2025, following an incident in the Spanish Super Cup semifinal against Athletic Bilbao. Peña arrived late to a pre-match training session at the team’s hotel, prompting Flick to enforce disciplinary action. As a result, Szczesny was handed his official debut in a critical match.

Since that pivotal moment, Szczesny has featured in five of Barcelona’s six games, while Peña has only played in one. Up to that point, Peña had appeared in 22 matches, conceding 25 goals and recording six clean sheets. However, his misconduct before the Bilbao clash appears to have relegated him to a secondary role.

Following the weekend’s match against Valencia, Flick addressed the goalkeeper situation with a clear stance. “One week with Szczesny as the starter, two victories. One against Benfica and another against Valencia. It’s a difficult situation for Iñaki Peña. It’s something that has been discussed internally, and we’ve made this decision,” Flick stated.

Flick’s faith in Szczesny despite errors

The start of 2025 has been transformative for Szczesny, who went from being an unused substitute to securing the starting role, despite a few notable errors committed in the month of January.

One of Szczesny’s most significant mistakes occurred during the Spanish Super Cup final against Real Madrid, where he received a red card for a reckless challenge on Kylian Mbappe. Against Benfica in the Champions League, a mix-up with teammate Alejandro Balde resulted in a goal for the Portuguese side. Most recently, Szczesny was saved by VAR from conceding a penalty during Saturday’s match against Valencia.

Despite these moments, Flick appears to trust Szczesny moving forward. The veteran goalkeeper’s leadership and experience seem to outweigh his occasional lapses, solidifying his place as Barcelona’s No. 1 for the remainder of the season.