Barcelona's Szczesny: Outspoken, unorthodox, set for best-ever season - ESPN

BARCELONA — Wojciech Szczesny wouldn't have believed you if you'd suggested he would be playing in the Clásico at the start of the season. He had retired from football, moved to Marbella in the south of Spain and was more concerned with lowering his handicap in golf. But he can win his second trophy as a Barcelona player on Saturday, when the LaLiga leaders meet Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final in Seville. (stream LIVE from 3 p.m. ET on ESPN+)

Perhaps this twist, one of the most unlikely tales in European football this year, was always the destiny for a player who, in many ways, bucks the trend of the modern-day footballer. Since joining Barça, he's made as many headlines for smoking, meditating and speaking in a refreshingly honest way as he has for his performances, but it's the latter that's put him in the spotlight going into the final stretch of the campaign.

Maybe bowing out quietly at Euro 2024 with Poland last summer was no way to go for the former Arsenal and Juventus goalkeeper. Signing off with a four-trophy season at Barça would provide a much more fitting and unorthodox final chapter to his career.

«We'll see if it's one of the best [football stories ever],» the 35-year-old told ESPN. «It's interesting. It can become one of the best. We will see when we talk at the end of May.»

With that said, who is to say this is the final chapter?

Barça's sporting director Deco confirmed talks have taken place to extend Szczesny's contract beyond this summer, when it's due to expire. That could give way to a battle for the No. 1 spot next season with Marc-André ter Stegen, who is due back from injury any day now, although it's unlikely Szczesny is looking that far ahead.

Instead, he wants to follow up January's