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Wojciech Szczesny: Time to shine after years of youthful arrogance

By Devin Nguyen

TURIN, ITALY - AUGUST 19: Wojciech Szczesny goalkeeper of Juventus looks during the Serie A match between Juventus and Cagliari Calcio at Allianz Stadium on August 19, 2017 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images)
TURIN, ITALY - AUGUST 19: Wojciech Szczesny goalkeeper of Juventus looks during the Serie A match between Juventus and Cagliari Calcio at Allianz Stadium on August 19, 2017 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images) /
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WARSAW, POLAND – JUNE 08: Referee Carlos Velasco Carballo shows Wojciech Szczesny of Poland a red card for fouling Dimitris Salpigidis of Greece during the UEFA EURO 2012 group A match between Poland and Greece at The National Stadium on June 8, 2012 in Warsaw, Poland. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
WARSAW, POLAND – JUNE 08: Referee Carlos Velasco Carballo shows Wojciech Szczesny of Poland a red card for fouling Dimitris Salpigidis of Greece during the UEFA EURO 2012 group A match between Poland and Greece at The National Stadium on June 8, 2012 in Warsaw, Poland. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) /

Poland vs Greece (1-1), June 8, 2012

As a budding goalkeeper for one of England’s best teams, Szczesny was primed to become Poland’s No.1 for the next 15 years.

At EURO 2012, hosted by Poland and Ukraine, Szczesny had the opportunity to prove himself on an international stage in front of his nation.

The tournament didn’t pan out as he and Poland may have expected and Szczesny wouldn’t play more than 70 minutes in the entire tournament.

In the opening game in Warsaw, after Robert Lewandowski scored in the first 20 minutes, Szczesny was a key part to Poland’s downfall. Greece would equalize in the 51st minute after Szczesny failed to gather a cross leaving his net wide open for Dimitrios Salpingidis to poke home.

Szczesny and Salpingidis would be a part of the action again when the former fouls the latter in the penalty-area receiving a red card and giving an opportunity to Greece to take the lead from the penalty spot.

Thankfully for Poland and Szczesny, the backup goalkeeper, Przemyslaw Tyton saved the subsequent penalty, but Szczesny didn’t make another appearance in the tournament and Poland failed to make it out of the group.

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