Former Arsenal Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny Issues Public Apology Over Father's Criticism of Arsene Wenger
During his time at Arsenal Football Club, Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was compelled to issue a formal apology to the club and then-manager Arsene Wenger. This apology was necessitated by disparaging comments made by his father, Maciej Szczesny, which publicly criticised Wenger's management decisions.
Father's Outburst Following Son's Dropping from the Team
The controversy erupted in March 2013 after Wojciech Szczesny was dropped for key matches against Bayern Munich and Swansea City. In response, his father, Maciej, a former Polish international goalkeeper himself, launched a verbal attack on Arsene Wenger. He accused the Arsenal boss of unfairly making his son a scapegoat for the team's struggles.
"Wenger's already started to look for the scapegoat," Maciej Szczesny stated at the time. "It is not the way the boss should behave. Wojciech has had two serious injuries. He played with one in April and May last year. He shouldn't have agreed to play at that time, but the coach insisted."
He further elaborated, "In my opinion Mr Wenger messed up a lot in April and May. I don't blame the young man who went along with his coach. His current lack of form is a result of those two months."
Szczesny's Swift and Public Disavowal
Wojciech Szczesny moved quickly to distance himself entirely from his father's inflammatory remarks. The goalkeeper, who had joined Arsenal as a teenager and fought to become the club's number one, released a statement expressing his unwavering loyalty to the club and its manager.
"I would like to apologise for the comments made by my father," Szczesny declared. "I'd like to make it clear those were the views of my father and not mine. Although I respect his views, I cannot accept them as I find them disrespectful to the club I truly love."
He emphasised his long-standing commitment, adding, "I have been at Arsenal Football Club for seven years now and I have always shown my full respect to the club, Arsene Wenger, all the coaching staff, my team-mates and the fans. I've always felt I received great support from the manager and the fans and I am fully focused on getting back to my best. I am proud to be a part of Arsenal and I see my future at this great club."
Strained Family Relations and Further Controversy
Despite this public apology, the situation revealed a profound rift within the Szczesny family. Wojciech later disclosed that he had not spoken to his father for over two years. This estrangement was highlighted again in January 2015 when Maciej Szczesny launched another critique, this time in a blog post, after his son lost his starting place following a defeat to Southampton and a reported fine for smoking.
Maciej wrote, "Mr Wenger is simply not loyal to people. He does not always keep his word and is not honest." In a bizarre personal jab, he added, "Wenger claims there is a cigarette ash on his suit jacket whereas in fact it's his own dandruff." He also suggested his son should leave Arsenal, but only for a stronger team.
Final Public Rebuke on the Eve of the FA Cup Final
The conflict reached a dramatic peak on the eve of the 2015 FA Cup final against Aston Villa. While battling David Ospina for the starting goalkeeper spot at Wembley, Wojciech Szczesny took to social media to publicly condemn his father's continued comments.
"Really shouldn't be dealing with this one day before the cup final but my father leaves me no choice," Szczesny posted. "I have not spoken to him in more than two years and just like everybody else I have had enough of his idiotic comments about The Football Club and The Manager I owe so much to! Therefore please do not consider his comments as my shared view. Thank You for your understanding!"
Wojciech Szczesny ultimately made 181 appearances for Arsenal before departing on loan to Roma and later joining Juventus permanently in 2017. The 35-year-old briefly retired before signing for Barcelona in October 2024, closing a chapter on a career that was, for a time, overshadowed by very public familial discord.
