Wojciech Szczesny’s father, Maciej, was a Poland goalkeeper who won the domestic title with four different clubs.
The new Arsenal number 1 has a famous story about his father from his playing days.
“My dad got sent off for punching Roberto Mancini in the face,” he says. “It was in the European Cup-Winners’ Cup quarter-final in 1991 and if you look on YouTube you will have confirmation. It’s a very clear punch. He just went straight through him. I can’t wait to play against Mancini now. Maybe he will remember.”
Sampdoria had just scored an 89th-minute goal through Gianluca Vialli in the second leg against Legia Warsaw but needed more to avoid elimination. Szczesny Sr grabbed the ball and Mancini, now the Manchester City manager, wanted it back. “The question for my dad was: ‘Do you want to play in the final?'” Szczesny says. “But obviously being a nutter … it was: ‘No.’ Bang, he punched him. It was the last minute and he was suspended for the semi-final, which Legia lost to Manchester United. He wasn’t very happy. I just hope that Mancini still remembers it.”
Video : The punch is landed at around 07:40
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffWi9Bl_QV8
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