International breaks are typically a stressful time for Mikel Arteta, as he endures two weeks of concern over the fitness of his squad.
In September, Arsenal lost Martin Odegaard to an ankle injury during the break, and now in October, worries have risen over Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka’s conditions…Continue Reading
Arteta’s concerns persisted during the first week of the international fixtures, as Arsenal found themselves in the headlines for reasons unrelated to their players’ injuries.
With several Arsenal players involved in high-profile international matches, one moment grabbed the attention of fans.
Jakub Kiwior, who is part of the Poland national team, played in a 3-1 defeat to Portugal on Saturday night.
However, it wasn’t the game itself that drew attention—it was a tunnel conversation between Cristiano Ronaldo and former Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny that made headlines.
The two were caught on video discussing Szczesny’s recent transfer to Barcelona, sparking curiosity among fans.
“I went to Barcelona,” the former Arsenal shot-stopper said to Ronaldo, to which the forward responded with a jibe at his ex-teammate.
“I know. Unbelievable, not really, you had to retire to go to a big club,” the five-time Ballon d’Or winner replied.
Having played for major European clubs like Arsenal, Juventus, and Roma, the conversation between Ronaldo and Szczesny could be interpreted as a light jab at his former teams, following an eventful few months for the goalkeeper.
This past summer, Szczesny announced his retirement from professional football after spending seven seasons at Juventus.
There were even rumors linking him with a potential return to Arsenal as a free agent, but instead, he declared his intention to retire.
However, just five weeks later, Szczesny reversed that decision and signed for Barcelona after their first-choice goalkeeper, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, suffered a serious injury early in the season.
It was a whirlwind summer for the 34-year-old, and Ronaldo couldn’t help but find some humor in Szczesny’s sudden change of plans.