Juventus Stadium witnessed a big scare on Thursday night. Juve goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was replaced just before the break (44th) after feeling chest discomfort during the Europa League quarter-final first leg against Sporting Portugal (1-0). This would fortunately be a priori without gravity, as the Polish international assured himself after the meeting.
“There was a bit of anxiety, but we did some checks and everything is fine,” said the 32-year-old goalkeeper at Sky Sport’s microphone. “It’s something that had never happened to me, I had a little trouble breathing, I was a little scared,” said Wojciech Szczesny, who smiled again to congratulate his replacement Mattia Perin, author of a decisive double save in added time of the match.
Five minutes before half-time, the former Arsenal goalkeeper called the trainers, indicating that he had pain in his chest. Surrounded by several of his partners, he then crouched in front of his line for several minutes before getting up and leaving the field, in tears. Before his release, Wojciech Szczesny had made several decisive interventions without the slightest apparent discomfort.