logo
Barcelona Extends Szczesny's Contract Till 2027 Amid Ter Stegen Uncertainty

Barcelona Extends Szczesny's Contract Till 2027 Amid Ter Stegen Uncertainty

News185 days ago
Last Updated:
Barcelona confirmed Szczesny's contract until 2027 after a stellar season. Szczesny joined as emergency cover for injured Marc-André ter Stegen, whose future is now uncertain.
Barcelona have confirmed that veteran goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has signed a new contract that will keep him at the club until 2027.
The La Liga champions made the announcement on Monday, praising the 35-year-old's pivotal role during a remarkable campaign.
'The Polish goalkeeper staying is recognition and a prize for his great season between the sticks for Barça, after an unexpected arrival in a strange context," the club said in an official statement.
Unfinished Business.He's not done yet. 😤 pic.twitter.com/C6OOvCz7SZ — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 7, 2025
Szczesny had previously retired from professional football before being brought in as emergency cover in October following a long-term injury to Marc-André ter Stegen, who suffered a ruptured patella tendon and missed most of the season.
Despite joining under unusual circumstances, Szczesny quickly became a key figure for the team, helping Barcelona secure both the La Liga title and the Copa del Rey. Ter Stegen returned only in the final weeks of the season.
Szczesny's renewal, coupled with the club's recent acquisition of Joan García from Espanyol, raises fresh questions about Ter Stegen's role at the club. The 33-year-old German international is one of the highest earners at Barcelona, and Spanish media suggest that the financially challenged club may look to reduce its wage bill by parting ways with him.
Barcelona paid €26.34 million ($31 million) in June to sign García on a six-year deal. The club also retains Inaki Peña, further intensifying competition for the goalkeeper position heading into next season.
First Published:
July 07, 2025, 23:23 IST
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Germany Searches for Army Recruits in Dwindling Pool of Workers
Germany Searches for Army Recruits in Dwindling Pool of Workers

Mint

timean hour ago

  • Mint

Germany Searches for Army Recruits in Dwindling Pool of Workers

(Bloomberg) -- A Germany flush with cash to rearm against the threat from Russia is struggling to muster sufficient recruits in an already stretched jobs market. The military revamp, following decades of neglect, is playing out as society ages and more and more people exit the workforce. Those trends have already left firms lacking skilled staff and put officials seeking to swell the army's ranks in a bind. While other European countries face shortfalls too, the scale of Germany's task stands out. New NATO demands mean it must boost its regular army to as many as 260,000 from about 180,000 now, and add hundreds of thousands to a reserve that can be called on in times of crisis, according to Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. With a separate push by Chancellor Friedrich Merz's new government to overhaul Germany's infrastructure also sapping manpower, steps are being taken to restore a version of the draft. Analysts are also raising the possibility of bringing migrants into the armed forces. Merz told German companies last month that personnel challenges — not funding — will be the 'decisive problem' to overcome as he strives to build the continent's strongest conventional army, calling on them to temporarily release workers so they can gain military skills. Talk like that fuels the debate over whether the draft, which was suspended in 2011, is needed once again, with about 55% of Germans backing the idea. While the coalition government only plans a voluntary model inspired by Sweden, Merz and Pistorius have left the door open to restoring conscription if progress is too slow. Merz's cabinet is expected to pass the legislation in the final week of August so voluntary military service can be introduced by January. Pistorius's goal is to attract more than 110,000 conscripts by the end of the decade. Behind closed doors, conservative lawmakers are pushing their Social Democrat coalition partners to toughen the draft law through a binding mechanism to bring back compulsory military service should the voluntary model fail to attract enough personnel. There are serious doubts, however, that such an approach would yield the best results for an economy that's shrunk for the last two years and is crying out for skilled labor to help it modernize. While unemployment has ticked up, it's expected to decline again as the government splashes hundreds of billions of euros on upgrading roads and bridges. 'From a labor-market perspective, and also for the benefit of the armed forces, we must ensure that those who are best suited to the job are the ones who go there — and not those who are better suited to other jobs,' said Enzo Weber, an economist at the Institute for Employment Research. 'If we do not make good use of the qualities of our workforce, we'll suffer considerable losses.' Pistorius has acknowledged that Germany's greying population is an issue for the army, saying recently that it'll need to replace a 'wave' of retirees on top of finding new people. But he insists any conscription-based model would only be used to increase the army's reserve, while full-time staff would have to be found through other means. That's proved difficult in the past. In 2024, the number of soldiers dipped below 180,000 — the lowest level since 2018, despite long-standing efforts to reach more than 200,000. Parliament's former Commissioner for the Armed Forces, Eva Hoegl, wrote in a March report that the military has for years faced 'considerable challenges in recruitment that are exacerbated by demographic change and competition on the civilian labor market.' While forcing people to serve may seem like a cost-effective fix, researchers at the Munich-based Ifo institute warn this isn't the case. That's because conscripts spend less time in the jobs market, delaying their education and curbing their eventual incomes. The resulting decline in consumption, compared with a market-based system, would have 'drastic consequences for the whole economy,' they said in a 2024 paper. 'For the voluntary model to succeed, the most important thing would be to improve pay,' said Panu Poutvaara, one of the study's authors. 'What would still be needed is to make sure that the army has sufficient resources also in terms of equipment, as this would make it a more attractive place to work.' On that point, the government has cast off its fiscal shackles to allow more spending on up-to-date kit. The army reckons 'creative social-media campaigns' and regional recruiting events have also proved successful, though that only allowed it to 'stop the negative trend' and keep soldier numbers stable last year. An image makeover and a greater appreciation for the importance of defense may go some way to attracting more applicants, according to Guntram Wolff, a senior fellow at the Bruegel think-tank and a professor at the Solvay Brussels School. But with military experts warning that Russia could be ready to attack Europe in less than five years, the prospect of actual combat deployment may also act as a deterrent. Perhaps the thorniest discussion — more so even than conscription — could yet lie ahead. Just as for the economy as a whole, immigration could help offset demographic shifts — an idea Pistorius broached last year. The current atmosphere toward such an idea is likely to be hostile even after a backlash against migrants prompted Merz to beef up Germany's borders. But a faster track to citizenship for migrants choosing to enlist in the army could be one way to increase recruitment, according to Poutvaara. Wolff agrees, saying higher salaries alone probably wouldn't suffice. 'The labor market has been swept empty, so we need to become more open,' he said. 'We need to take the integration of migrants a lot more seriously, and that goes for the armed forces as well.' --With assistance from Andrea Palasciano and Michael Nienaber. More stories like this are available on

Germany's trade surplus hits $21.65 bn despite monthly export dip
Germany's trade surplus hits $21.65 bn despite monthly export dip

Fibre2Fashion

timean hour ago

  • Fibre2Fashion

Germany's trade surplus hits $21.65 bn despite monthly export dip

Germany's foreign trade performance in May 2025 showed mixed signals, with exports and imports both declining monthly, according to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). Despite the monthly setbacks, Germany still posted a robust foreign trade surplus of €18.4 billion (~$21.65 bn) in May 2025. Exports of goods fell by 1.4 per cent compared to April 2025, amounting to €129.4 billion (~$151.4 billion). However, year-over-year (YoY), exports were marginally higher by 0.4 per cent. Imports dropped more sharply by 3.8 per cent from the previous month, totalling €111.1 billion (~$130.99 billion), though they recorded a stronger annual rise of 4.2 per cent. Compared with May 2024, the exports increased by 0.4 per cent and imports rose by 4.2 per cent, based on provisional data. The calendar and seasonally adjusted surplus stood at €15.7 billion in April 2025. In May 2024, the surplus was €22.3 billion, Destatis said in a press release. Germany's foreign trade in May 2025 showed a monthly decline in both exports and imports, though annual figures rose modestly. Exports fell 1.4 per cent to €129.4 billion (~$151.4 billion), while imports dropped 3.8 per cent to €111.1 billion (~$130.99 billion). The adjusted trade surplus stood at €18.4 billion. Trade with the US and China weakened, while nominal exports and imports grew YoY. On a calendar and seasonally adjusted basis, Germany exported goods to the value of €71.3 billion to the Member States of the European Union (EU) in May 2025, while it imported goods to the value of €57.7 billion from these countries in the same period. Compared with April 2025, calendar and seasonally adjusted exports to EU countries dropped by 2.2 per cent and imports from these countries fell by 3.6 per cent. The value of the goods exported to euro area countries totalled €49.3 billion, a decline of 2.6 per cent, and the value of the goods imported from these countries was €37.9 billion, down 3.2 per cent. Goods to the value of €22 billion which went down by 1.3 per cent were exported to EU countries not belonging to the euro area, while the value of the goods imported from those countries was €19.8 billion, a decline of 4.2 per cent. Exports of goods to countries outside the EU (third countries) amounted to €58.1 billion in May 2025, while imports from these countries totalled €53.3 billion, on a calendar and seasonally adjusted basis. Compared with April 2025, exports to third countries declined by 0.3 per cent and imports from third countries fell by 4.1 per cent. Most German exports in May 2025 went to the United States. After seasonal and calendar adjustment, exports of goods to the United States decreased by 7.7 per cent compared with April 2025, with the value of exports to the United States falling to €12.1 billion, the lowest value since March 2022 (€11.9 billion). Compared with May 2024, exports to the United States were down 13.8 per cent on a calendar and seasonally adjusted basis. Exports to China decreased by 2.9 per cent to €6.8 billion compared with April 2025. Month on month, exports to the United Kingdom rose 15.1 per cent to €7.2 billion. Most imports in May 2025 came from China. Goods to the value of €13.8 billion were imported from there, on a calendar and seasonally adjusted basis. This was a decrease of 1 per cent compared with the previous month. Imports from the United States decreased by 10.7 per cent to €7.4 billion. Imports from the United Kingdom increased by 4 per cent to €3.1 billion during the same period. After calendar and seasonal adjustment, exports to the Russian Federation decreased by 12.1 per cent to €0.5 billion in May 2025 from April 2025 and were down 11.1 per cent from May 2024. Imports from Russia rose by 9.4 per cent to €0.1 billion in May 2025 compared with April 2025 and were down 39.8 per cent from May 2024. Germany exported goods to the value of €130.2 billion and imported goods to the value of €112.6 billion on a nominal basis (not adjusted for calendar or seasonal effects) in May 2025. Compared with May 2024, exports therefore increased by 2.8 per cent and imports were up 6.1 per cent. The unadjusted foreign trade balance showed a surplus of €17.6 billion in May 2025. In May 2024, the surplus was €20.5 billion. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (SG)

‘Couldn't resist': Roger Federer plays at Wimbledon again, four years since retirement
‘Couldn't resist': Roger Federer plays at Wimbledon again, four years since retirement

Indian Express

time2 hours ago

  • Indian Express

‘Couldn't resist': Roger Federer plays at Wimbledon again, four years since retirement

It wasn't the typical regal setting for a scene when he hits the courts. The traditional all-white kits were not to be seen; perhaps passable even at Wimbledon when you are 'not a professional tennis player anymore'. Two years since updating his X (formerly Twitter) status and four since his last professional outing on grass, Roger Federer returned for a hit at the hallowed SW19, turning up at one of the training courts for a special jog down memory lane. The balletic movements haven't taken a hit either, as Federer, sporting a black and white Uniqlo outfit, sparred with his old rival Tommy Haas at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, having been a member since his first Grand Slam triumph at Wimbledon in 2003. Federer and Haas have had several fierce contests together, including a memorable 2009 Wimbledon semi-final when the Swiss maestro snipped the German in straight sets en route to his sixth title. A post shared by Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) In a video posted on his Instagram account on Friday, Federer was seen hitting balls on a quaint court in silence with his wife Mirka watching on from the sidelines. 'Couldn't resist, Wimbledon,' his humble admission on the caption of the 40-second video post with Fleetwood's Mac's Dreams playing in the background. The overload of emotions had fans desperately calling on Federer for a proper comeback at his most favoured turf, one where he was crowned champion a record eight times, including five in succession. The unannounced hit on the training courts came days after Federer was seen in the Royal Box inside Centre Court for the earlier rounds of the men's and women's matches. Federer was in attendance for three Round of 16 matches, catching up on the action of his long-time rival Novak Djokovic against Alex de Minaur, Mirra Andreeva versus Emma Navarro, and Jannik Sinner's match with Grigor Dimitrov. Federer's storied Wimbledon career ended in agonyas he went down Hubert Hurkacz in the 2021 quarter-finals, also marking the end of his Grand Slam career. Earlier this year, Federer at the possibility of returning to the courts for exhibition games. 'Honestly, I'd love to play some more tennis again,' Federer had told TNT Sports. 'Enough with the golf, I've played so much. So seriously, I would love to start playing two or three times a week & hopefully get myself back on the exhibition court and fill up a few nice around the world. I have no plans yet. 'The training part, I miss it a little bit. I haven't played a whole lot since I retired because my body and mind needed a break,' the 43-year-old had said.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store