“When I spoke, he was locked in the bathroom” - Leonardo Bonucci hits out at ‘bullsh*t’ claim from Barcelona star
Juventus great Leonardo Bonucci has hit out at claims made by Barcelona goalkeeper and former teammate Wojciech Szczesny about his role in the Juve dressing room. The Poland international came out of retirement to sign with La Blaugrana in October as an emergency addition following a season-ending injury to Marc-Andre Ter Stegen.
In a recent interview, Szczesny poked fun at former teammate Bonucci, implying that he said a lot of nonsense in the dressing room during their time at Juventus. The pair played 139 games as teammates between 2018 and 2023.
Bonucci spoke to former Italy striker Luca Toni on Amazon Prime Video Italy's YouTube channel and addressed the claims made by the goalkeeper. He revealed that the Pole hurt him with his comments.
"Yes, I was hurt [by Szczesny's words], also because of the sanctity of the locker room. I spoke for the good of the team, then when I spoke he wasn't there, he was locked in the bathroom. I won't say what, but he spoke about it too. He also brought up De Ligt but I had a great relationship with him. It was at a time when he left football and then came back, maybe he was confused. I was very surprised by the bullsh*t he said."
Wojciech Szczesny joined Juventus from Arsenal in 2017, one year before Leonardo Bonucci returned to the club following a one-year stint at AC Milan. Both men retired from football earlier this year, but the 34-year-old goalkeeper is back in Barcelona colors. Bonucci, 37, on the other hand, has taken up a role working as an assistant to coach Bernardo Corradi with the Italy U-20 national team.
Barcelona star set for January debut for La Blaugrana
Barcelona star Wojciech Szczesny is likely to debut for Barcelona in January when they participate in the Copa del Rey. The goalkeeper is yet to play for Barca.
Barcelona boss Hansi Flick has opted to keep his faith in academy graduate Inaki Pena, who has deputized excellently for the injured Marc-Andre Ter Stegen. However, with a Copa del Rey tie to come in January against UD Barbastro, Szczesny may finally be handed a debut for his side.
Wojciech Szczesny last played competitive football in June when he featured for Poland against Austria at Euro 2024. The Pole was in good shape before retiring and is expected to stake his claim for a regular starting berth.