“I really thought I was going to die” – Ex-Arsenal star Wojciech Szczesny opens up on ‘scary’ chest pain during Juventus game

Former Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny recently opened up about the chest pain he suffered during a UEFA Europa League game for Juventus last season.

The Polish goalkeeper complained of chest pain and heart palpitations in the first half of Juventus' quarterfinal first-leg clash against Sporting CP. He was taken off at half-time. After receiving an electrocardiogram, Szczesny was thankfully completely fine.

The former Arsenal man recently shared how 'scary' the experience was in an interview with Canal Plus Polonia.

"It was scary. I really thought I was going to die," Szczesny said. "After passing a ball to the defender, I felt like my heart was about to explode. During a corner kick, I told Arek (Arkadiusz Milik), I was hurt, but the Sporting players were already taking a corner kick."

"The chest pain was horrible. To this day, we don't know the reason. Probably back or spine problems," he added.

Szczesny returned to action soon after, as he started in the second leg against Sporting a week later. He helped Juventus beat the Portuguese side 2-1 on aggregate before they were eliminated in the semifinals by eventual champions Sevilla.

The 33-year-old kept 19 clean sheets in 40 games across competitions for Juventus last season. He also helped Poland reach the Round of 16 at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, saving two penalties.

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Arsenal and Manchester City continue battle for Declan Rice

As per The Athletic journalist David Ornstein, Manchester City have submitted their first bid for West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice.

The Cityzens have put in a bid of £80 million plus £10 million add-ons, which amounts to Arsenal's second bid for Rice, which was rejected. The Gunners are expected to make a third bid to challenge City as they look to bring the Englishman to the Emirates.

The north London side could see the likes of Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka leave this summer. Hence, signing a midfielder is a top priority for them, and Rice has long been on the list. Arsenal have already seen two bids being rejected but are ready to put in a third bid.

Manchester City, meanwhile, joined the race to sign Rice recently after Ilkay Gundogan's move to Barcelona. Bernardo Silva has also been linked with Paris Saint-Germain or Saudi Arabia (via transfer expert Fabrizio Romano).

Declan Rice, 24, has been one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League in recent years. He has played 245 senior games for West Ham and also captained them to the UEFA Europa Conference League victory last season.