Jakub Błaszczykowski

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Jakub Błaszczykowski
Jakub Błaszczykowski 2019.jpg
Błaszczykowski in 2019
Personal information
Full name Jakub Błaszczykowski[1]
Date of birth (1985-12-14) 14 December 1985 (age 35)[1]
Place of birth Truskolasy,[2] Poland
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Position(s) Winger
Club information
Current team
 Wisła Kraków
Number 16
Youth career
1993–2002 Raków Częstochowa
2002–2003 Górnik Zabrze
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003–2004 24 (11)
2004–2007 Wisła Kraków 51 (3)
2007–2016 Borussia Dortmund 197 (27)
2015–2016 → Fiorentina (loan) 15 (2)
2016–2019 VfL Wolfsburg 38 (1)
2019– Wisła Kraków 45 (16)
National team‡
2004–2005 Poland U19 8 (0)
2005–2006 Poland U21 3 (1)
2005 1 (0)
2006– Poland 108 (21)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 13:42, 9 May 2021 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 9 September 2019

Jakub Błaszczykowski (Polish pronunciation: [ˈjakup ˈkuba ˌbwaʂtʂɨˈkɔfskʲi] (About this soundlisten); born 14 December 1985), also known as Kuba, is a Polish professional footballer who plays as a winger for Wisła Kraków and the Poland national team, businessman and the Wisła Kraków's owner.[3] He started his professional football at Wisła Kraków establishing himself at a young age. In 2007, he joined Borussia Dortmund, where he spent the majority of his career, making over 250 appearances and winning two Bundesliga titles, two DFL-Supercups, and one DFB-Pokal.

Błaszczykowski was twice named Polish Footballer of the Year in 2008 and 2010.[4] With 108 appearances, he is the second most capped player for Poland, and captained them as they co-hosted UEFA Euro 2012, while also appearing at UEFA Euro 2016 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Club career[]

Early career[]

Raised in Truskolasy near Częstochowa, Błaszczykowski began training at Raków Częstochowa when he was eight years old.[5] In 2002, at age 16, he joined the youth side of Górnik Zabrze. In early 2003, he joined KS Częstochowa and played in the Polish fourth league until the end of 2004. His uncle, former Poland captain Jerzy Brzęczek, then helped him get a trial at Wisła Kraków, where he impressed then-manager Werner Lička.[6]

Błaszczykowski quickly broke into Wisła's first team, with his first league appearance coming on 20 March 2005 against Polonia Warsaw. By the end of the season, he was an established part of the starting 11. With Wisła he won the Polish Ekstraklasa title in his debut season, and they were runners-up the following season. Additionally he won Canal+'s "Football Oscar" for the best midfielder in the Polish top division. He was also named to the Ekstraklasa Best XI of the 2006–07 season in the Polish Footballers' Association voting.[7]

Borussia Dortmund[]

Błaszczykowski with Borussia Dortmund in 2007

In February 2007, Błaszczykowski signed a four-year contract with Borussia Dortmund for an undisclosed fee, joining the Bundesliga side in July of that year.[citation needed] He played with the shirt name "Kuba", a diminutive form of his first name, until 2012.[8] During the 2008–09 season, he was plagued by a torn leg muscle.[9] He was, nevertheless, voted Polish Footballer of the Year in December 2008.[10]

Błaszczykowski with Borussia Dortmund won the Bundesliga title for two consecutive seasons in 2010–11 and 2011–12. He also won the 2011–12 DFB-Pokal, providing two assists in the final 5–2 victory over Bayern Munich.[11] In July 2012, he was named on UEFA's 32-man shortlist for the Best Player in Europe award.[12]

Błaszczykowski signed a new contract with Borussia Dortmund on 24 July 2012, keeping him with the German club until 2016.[13][14] He scored his first goal of the 2012–13 season in the opening round of the DFB-Pokal on 18 August 2012, setting up Marco Reus for Dortmund's opening goal before netting their second, as the Yellow-Blacks achieved a 3–0 victory at FC Oberneuland.[15] On 25 January 2013, Błaszczykowski scored two goals within the first 21 minutes against 1. FC Nürnberg, sending Dortmund on their way to a 3–0 victory and putting the defending champions within just nine points of league leaders Bayern.[16] In Dortmund's 3–2 victory over Bayer 04 Leverkusen on 3 February, which moved Dortmund above Leverkusen into second place, he converted a penalty in the ninth minute to put his side up 2–0.[17] He scored Dortmund's third goal in a 3–0 rout of Shakhtar Donetsk on 5 March, completing a 5–2 aggregate victory over the Ukrainian champions as Dortmund progressed to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.[citation needed] The result meant that the Yellow-Blacks had advanced to the quarter-finals for the first time in 15 years.[18]

On 2 June 2013, Błaszczykowski signed a new contract with Borussia Dortmund, keeping him at the club until 2018.[19] On 27 July 2013, Błaszczykowski won the 2013 DFL-Supercup with Dortmund 4–2 against rivals Bayern Munich.[20] On 26 October 2013, Błaszczykowski scored a goal for Dortmund in the Revierderby against rivals Schalke in a 3–1 win for Dortmund.[21]

Fiorentina (loan)[]

On 31 August 2015, Błaszczykowski joined Fiorentina for a season-long loan from Borussia Dortmund.[22]

VfL Wolfsburg[]

On 1 August 2016, Błaszczykowski joined VfL Wolfsburg on a three-year contract for a reported fee of €5 million.[23] In January 2019, his contract with Wolfsburg was dissolved.[24][25][26]

Return to Wisła Kraków[]

On 7 February 2019, Błaszczykowski rejoined former club Wisła Kraków on a free transfer.

International career[]

Błaszczykowski playing for Poland in 2011

Błaszczykowski debuted for the Poland national football team on 28 March 2006 in a friendly against Saudi Arabia. He did not receive a call up for the 2006 FIFA World Cup due to injury.[27] He scored his first goal for Poland on 22 August 2007 in a friendly against Russia.[28] Błaszczykowski was an important part of Poland's successful UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying campaign and was named in Poland's squad for UEFA Euro 2008, but he withdrew due to injury.[29] On 17 November 2010, in a friendly match against Ivory Coast, Błaszczykowski made his debut as captain of the Polish national team.

Błaszczykowski captaining Poland in 2013

Euro 2012[]

On 8 June 2012, in the opening game of UEFA Euro 2012 against Greece, Błaszczykowski assisted Robert Lewandowski's goal in a 1–1 draw. In the second group stage match against Russia, he scored a long range equalising goal in a 1–1 draw and was named Man of the Match.[30]

World Cup 2014 qualifying[]

Błaszczykowski was Poland's current top scorer in their 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign with four goals. His first two strikes were from the penalty spot, his first gave Poland an early lead in their opening group game with Montenegro, a match which finished 2–2. His second goal came four days later, again giving Poland the lead in their 2–0 win over Moldova. He did not feature in the 1–1 draw with England due to injury. Błaszczykowski got the assist for Piszczek's goal in the 3–1 defeat to Ukraine. He did not feature against San Marino four days later due to an injury sustained in the pre-match warm up. On 7 June 2013, he scored his third goal of the qualifying campaign by grabbing the opener against Moldova – a game which finished 1–1. After San Marino scored an equaliser in a qualifying match on 10 September 2013, Błaszczykowski restored the lead just a minute later and Poland went on to win the match 5–1.

Euro 2016[]

Błaszczykowski playing for Poland at the UEFA Euro 2016 in the quarter-final against Portugal

During nearly half of the qualifying campaign, Błaszczykowski was out of the national squad due to injury. He marked his return when coming on as a substitute in a qualifying match against Georgia, where the former Polish captain provided an assist against Georgia for the current captain, Robert Lewandowski, who scored a hat-trick in the final five minutes of the match in a 4–0 win. He scored a penalty against Gibraltar in an 8–1 victory and played in all the remaining games of qualification.

On 12 June, Poland's opening game, Błaszczykowski played a key role in providing a cross and assisting in Arkadiusz Milik's goal in a 1–0 win over Northern Ireland. This was Poland's first win at European Championship. Błaszczykowski also played in a goalless draw against Germany, but was dropped to the bench for the final group game against Ukraine. He came on as a substitute at halftime to score the only goal which sealed Poland the victory, earned them second spot in the group with seven points, behind Germany on goal difference. This marked their first advancement to the knockout stage at a European championship. On 25 June, the first game in the group of 16, Błaszczykowski scored the opening goal for Poland against Switzerland. The game ended 1–1, going into extra time and then a penalty shootout. Błaszczykowski delivered his spot kick and Poland won 5–4, advancing to the quarter final. The next knockout game against Portugal ended 1–1 after extra time, but Poland lost in the penalty shootout after he could not convert his penalty kick.

Personal life[]

As a child, Błaszczykowski witnessed a family tragedy which had a major influence on his life.[31] In September 1996, when he was 10 years old, his father stabbed his mother to death.[6][31][32] After his father went to prison, he and his older brother, Dawid, were raised by their grandmother.[5] He briefly gave up football, but with the encouragement of his uncle, Jerzy Brzęczek, a former captain of the Polish national football team, he decided to resume training at Raków Częstochowa two months later.[6][33] Błaszczykowski has credited his successes to his grandmother.[34] He dedicates every goal he scores to his mother and can be seen looking up to the sky during goal celebrations.

Błaszczykowski married Agata Gołaszewska in June 2010.[35] Their daughter, Oliwia, was born in 2011.[31][36] Their second daughter, Lena, was born in 2014. He is a devout Roman Catholic, who reads the Bible on a daily basis, prays often, and participates in the Nie wstydzę się Jezusa (Polish for "I am not ashamed of Jesus") project.[37]

Career statistics[]

Club[]

As of 3 March 2020[38][39][40]
Club Season Division League Cup[a] Continental[b] Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
KS Częstochowa 2002–03 III Liga 2 0 – – – 2 0
2003–04 13 5 – – – 13 5
2004–05 9 6 – – – 9 6
Total 24 11 – – – 24 11
Wisła Kraków 2004–05 Ekstraklasa 11 1 4 1 – – 15 2
17 0 2 0 1 0 – 20 0
23 2 1 1 8 0 – 32 3
Total 51 3 7 2 9 0 – 67 5
Borussia Dortmund 2007–08 Bundesliga 24 1 3 0 – – 27 1
2008–09 27 3 0 0 2 0 – 29 3
2009–10 32 1 2 0 – – 34 1
2010–11 29 3 1 0 7 0 – 37 3
2011–12 29 6 6 0 5 1 0 0 40 7
2012–13 27 11 3 2 10 1 1[c] 0 41 14
2013–14 16 2 2 0 6 1 1[c] 0 25 3
2014–15 13 0 4 0 3 0 0 0 20 0
Total 197 27 21 2 33 3 2 0 253 32
Fiorentina (loan) 2015–16 Serie A 15 2 0 0 5 0 – 20 2
VfL Wolfsburg 2016–17 Bundesliga 28 0 2 0 – 0 0 30 0
2017–18 9 1 2 0 – 2[d] 0 13 1
2018–19 1 0 1 0 – – 2 0
Total 38 1 5 0 – 2 0 45 1
Wisła Kraków 2018–19 Ekstraklasa 8 5 0 0 – – 8 5
2019–20 15 5 0 0 – – 15 5
2020-21 16 4 0 0 – – 16 4
2021-22 0 0 0 0 – – 0 0
Total 39 14 0 0 – – 39 14
Career total 364 58 33 4 47 3 4 0 448 65

Notes

  1. ^ Includes DFB-Pokal and Polish Cup
  2. ^ Includes UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Appearance in DFL-Supercup
  4. ^ Appearance(s) in Bundesliga relegation play-offs

International[]

As of 9 September 2019[41]
Poland
Year Apps Goals
2006 6 0
2007 7 1
2008 6 1
2009 8 0
2010 9 2
2011 12 4
2012 10 4
2013 10 2
2014 0 0
2015 7 1
2016 14 3
2017 8 1
2018 8 2
2019 3 0
Total 108 21

International goals[]

Score and Result lists Poland's goals first[38]
Goal Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 22 August 2007 Lokomotiv Stadium, Moscow, Russia  Russia 2–2 2–2 Friendly
2. 11 October 2008 Silesian Stadium, Chorzów, Poland  Czech Republic 2–0 2–1 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
3. 3 March 2010 Stadion Polonii Warszawa, Warsaw, Poland  Bulgaria 1–0 2–0 Friendly
4. 9 October 2010 Soldier Field, Chicago, United States  United States 2–2 2–2
5. 10 August 2011 Stadion Zagłębia Lubin, Lubin, Poland  Georgia 1–0 1–0
6. 6 September 2011 PGE Arena Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland  Germany 2–1 2–2
7. 7 October 2011 Seoul Olympic Stadium, Seoul, South Korea  South Korea 2–2 2–2
8. 11 October 2011 BRITA-Arena, Wiesbaden, Germany  Belarus 1–0 2–0
9. 2 June 2012 Polish Army Stadium, Warsaw, Poland  Andorra 3–0 4–0
10. 12 June 2012 National Stadium, Warsaw, Poland  Russia 1–1 1–1 UEFA Euro 2012
11. 7 September 2012 Podgorica City Stadium, Podgorica, Montenegro  Montenegro 1–0 2–2 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
12. 11 September 2012 Stadion Miejski, Wrocław, Poland  Moldova 1–0 2–0
13. 7 June 2013 Zimbru Stadium, Chișinău, Moldova  Moldova 1–0 1–1
14. 10 September 2013 Stadio Olimpico, Serravalle, San Marino  San Marino 2–1 5–1
15. 7 September 2015 National Stadium, Warsaw, Poland  Gibraltar 6–0 8–1 UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying
16. 23 March 2016 Stadion Miejski, Poznań, Poland  Serbia 1–0 1–0 Friendly
17. 21 June 2016 Stade Vélodrome, Marseille, France  Ukraine 1–0 1–0 UEFA Euro 2016
18. 25 June 2016 Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Étienne, France   Switzerland 1–0 1–1
19. 5 October 2017 Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium, Yerevan, Armenia  Armenia 4–1 6–1 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
20. 12 June 2018 National Stadium, Warsaw, Poland  Lithuania 4–0 4–0 Friendly
21. 11 October 2018 Silesian Stadium, Chorzów, Poland  Portugal 2–3 2–3 2018–19 UEFA Nations League A

Honours[]

Wisła Kraków[38]

Borussia Dortmund[38]

Individual

  • Ekstraklasa Midfielder of the Year: 2006[4]
  • Ekstraklasa Best XI: 2006–07[42]
  • Polish Footballer of the Year: 2008,[4] 2010[4]
  • Polish Footballer of the Year by Polish Footballers' Association: 2010[43]
  • Poland national football team's Best Player: 2010[43]
  • Footballer of the Year by the readers of "Sport": 2008,[44] 2010[45]
  • Borussia Dortmund Player of the Year: 2008[46]

See also[]

References[]

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External links[]

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