Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has named a surprise Italian legend, alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as one of the best three finishers he has faced in his career. The Polish star was believed to be done with football after hanging up his gloves following the expiration of his contract with Juventus and a subsequent failed move to Saudi Arabia.
However, he was drafted back in by the Catalan giants after their number one, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, suffered a potential season-ending injury. Speaking to ESPN following his return, Szczesny was asked to name the three greatest finishers he has ever come up against, and while two are self-explanatory, his third choice was an eyebrow-raiser.
Szczesny Names Totti as a Top Three Finisher
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were the other two chosen
After selecting Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as his first and second choices, Szczesny revealed that former teammate Francesco Totti was his third choice. Despite never having faced him in a competitive match, the former Arsenal shot-stopper explained that his encounters in training with the Italian great were enough to make him realise just how clinical he was:
“Cristiano and Messi would be the two and I would probably say Totti, but I never got to play against Francesco. I only played against him in training, but he was something different. in training in terms of finishing and the precision.
“The other two, the goalscoring record speaks for itself. So, they have to be there. The third one I would have Totti. As angry as Robert [Lewandowski] can be with me for that answer, it’s got to be Totti.”
The ex-forward is a hero in the Italian capital, having spent the entirety of his professional career at Roma, earning himself the right to be called one of the greatest one-club men in history. He claimed the Serie A title and two Italian Cups. He was also part of the Italian squad that lifted the 2006 World Cup. His international record in front of goal, however, is not all that impressive despite Szczesny’s assertions, with just nine goals in 58 caps.
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt – accurate as of 25/10/2024