Cristiano Ronaldo and Wojciech Szczesny shared a joke at the expense of their former club Juventus during a touching reunion on Saturday night.
The Portuguese legend scored his 133rd international goal as Portugal beat Poland 3-1 in their Nations League clash at the National Stadium Warsaw. The game also saw Szczesny and Grzegorz Krychowiak officially bid farewell to the national team.
The Polish stopper had called time on his career in August following his departure from Juventus before he hastily reversed his decision when Barcelona were in need of an experienced keeper after the season-ending injury to Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
During a meeting of Ronaldo and Szczesny, who spent three years together in Turin, the two aimed a dig at their former employer.
'You had to retire to join a big club.' Ronaldo could be heard telling Szczesny, in an acknowledgment of the unusual situation leading to his transfer.
Szczesny lifted three Serie A titles and three Coppa Italia trophies with the Turin giants after playing for Brentford, Arsenal, and Roma. With Arsenal he twice won the FA Cup.
He also accumulated 84 caps for Poland in an international career spanning from 2009 to 2024, playing at four European Championships and two World Cups.
Barcelona's options to bring in a replacement were limited after a previous ruling decided clubs would no longer be able to sign a player from another club, as they did in the case of Martin Braithwaite from Leganes in 2020.
Szczesny was amongst a shortlist of names to step into the void between the posts at the LaLiga and Champions League competitors, as well as former Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas, 37.
The club are allowed to pay him up to 80 per cent of Ter Stegen's £7.5millon salary.
'I'm very proud to be a Barcelona player,' He said in a short video following the announcement of his move. 'Visca el Barca (long live Barca!)'.
Szczesny's retirement lasted for just 36 days after he completed a move to Barcelona, who were in need of an experienced goalkeeper
Szczesny is in line to make his debut for the Catalan club when the domestic schedule resumes this weekend.
Barcelona welcome Sevilla to the Olympic Stadium before games against Bayern Munich and Real Madrid within three days.