WARSAW, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- FC Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, who was sent off against Real Madrid in Sunday's Spanish Supercup, admitted that he made a mistake when he left the goal and fouled Kylian Mbappe.
On Sunday, the Catalans beat Real Madrid 5-2 to win Spanish Supercup at King Abdullah Sports City stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Hansi Flick's side led 4-1 at the break and despite seeing Szczesny sent off for bringing down Mbappe early in the second half, they were able to hold on with relative ease against the Madrid attack.
"I made a bad decision and got a red card in my first El Clasico. It wasn't a good feeling. However, my experience allows me to look at this situation from a different perspective. I never intended to hide on the pitch and not make difficult decisions," Szczesny told Polish media on Wednesday.
"You could argue that it was this attitude that led to the red card for me. I prefer to think of this attitude that allowed me to be where I'm today. Thanks to my unjustified courage I can now enjoy my first trophy at Barcelona," he added.
The 34-year-old Pole emphasized he is happy that he joined the team.
"In September I finished my career and enjoyed life on the beach. Four months later I was able to play in a match that I had previously only been able to watch on TV. Living without fear can sometimes cause pain, but trust me, you will get a beautiful adventure in return," Szczesny concluded. ■
