Barcelona officials have recalled young goalkeeper Diego Kochen from the US national team’s mission to Chile, which was preparing for the 2025 U-20 World Cup.
The Catalan club will lose their first-choice goalkeeper, Joan Garcia, after he underwent knee surgery, which is expected to keep him out of action for more than a month.
Barcelona now has only experienced goalkeeper Szczesny, with Ter Stegen also injured and requiring at least two months to return to action.
Barcelona officials feared that Szczesny would be sent off or injured in the upcoming matches, and consequently, the goalkeeper in goal would be a member of the U-18 team.
Mundo Deportivo reported that Barcelona officials contacted Kochen and the US Soccer Federation and coordinated the young goalkeeper’s return to Catalonia to replace Szczesny over the next month.
The 19-year-old goalkeeper has been training with Barcelona’s first team since the beginning of the season, and has also been with the team several times before that. There is great confidence in his ability and his ability to play second fiddle temporarily in the coming period.
Kochen , for his part, didn’t mind returning and leaving the World Cup, especially since it’s an ideal opportunity for him to gain experience. He’s likely to make his debut for the Catalan club if anything happens to Szczesny.
Kochen has already arrived in Barcelona in the past few hours and should be ready for his new role starting with Sunday’s match against Real Sociedad.
