Jakub Błaszczykowski

Jakub "Kuba" Błaszczykowski (Polish pronunciation: [ˈjakup ˈkuba bwaʂt͡ʂɨˈkɔfskʲi] ⓘ; born 14 December 1985) is a Polish former professional footballer who played as a winger, currently a businessman and Wisła Kraków's part 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.

Jakub Błaszczykowski
Błaszczykowski in July 2019
Personal information
Full name Jakub Błaszczykowski[1]
Date of birth (1985-12-14) 14 December 1985[1]
Place of birth Truskolasy,[2] Poland
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Position(s) Winger
Youth career
1993–2002 Raków Częstochowa
2002–2003 Górnik Zabrze
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003–2004 KS Częstochowa 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)
2019–2023 Wisła Kraków 50 (16)
Total 375 (60)
International career
2004–2005 Poland U19 8 (0)
2005–2006 Poland U21 3 (1)
2005 Poland B 1 (0)
2006–2023 Poland 109 (21)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Błaszczykowski was twice named Polish Footballer of the Year in 2008 and 2010.[4] With 109 appearances, he is the second-most capped player of the Poland national team, 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. 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. 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. In April 2020, he became part owner of the club.[3] He missed most of the 2021–22 and 2022–23 campaigns after suffering a torn ACL in November 2021.[27] On 20 July 2023, on the eve of the 2023–24 season, Błaszczykowski announced his retirement from professional football, at age 37.[28]

International career
Błaszczykowski playing for Poland in 2011

Błaszczykowski debuted for the Poland national 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.[29] He scored his first goal for Poland on 22 August 2007 in a friendly against Russia.[30] 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.[31] On 17 November 2010, in a friendly match against Ivory Coast, Błaszczykowski made his debut as captain of the Poland 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.[32]

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.

World Cup 2018 and beyond

Błaszczykowski was selected for the final 23-man Poland squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup,[33] but played only in the first game, a 2–1 defeat to Senegal in which he was substituted at half-time.

Błaszczykowski scored on his record-breaking 103rd Poland cap, a 3–2 defeat to Portugal in the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League.[34]

On 16 June 2023, almost four years after his last inclusion in the team, Błaszczykowski was called up for a friendly match against Germany at Stadion Narodowy. He started his farewell game as a captain and left the pitch in the 16th minute to a guard of honor from both teams.[35] It turned out to be the last game of Błaszczykowski's professional career, as he retired the following month.[28]

Personal life

As a child, Błaszczykowski witnessed a family tragedy which had a major influence on his life.[36] In September 1996, when he was 10 years old, his father stabbed his mother to death.[6][36][37] 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 Poland national football team, he decided to resume training at Raków Częstochowa two months later.[6][38] Błaszczykowski has credited his successes to his grandmother.[39] 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.[40] Their daughter, Oliwia, was born in 2011.[36][41] Their second daughter, Lena, was born in 2014.

He is a devout 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.[42]

Career statistics

Club
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[43][44][45]
Club Season League National Cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
KS Częstochowa 2002–03 III liga 20———20
2003–04 III liga 135———135
2004–05 III liga 96———96
Total 2411———2411
Wisła Kraków 2004–05 Ekstraklasa 11141——152
2005–06 Ekstraklasa 1702010—200
2006–07 Ekstraklasa 2321180—323
Total 5137290—675
Borussia Dortmund 2007–08 Bundesliga 24130——271
2008–09 Bundesliga 2730020—293
2009–10 Bundesliga 32120——341
2010–11 Bundesliga 2931070—373
2011–12 Bundesliga 296605100407
2012–13 Bundesliga 2711321011[lower-alpha 1]04114
2013–14 Bundesliga 16220611[lower-alpha 1]0253
2014–15 Bundesliga 130403000200
Total 197272123332025332
Fiorentina (loan) 2015–16 Serie A 1520050—202
VfL Wolfsburg 2016–17 Bundesliga 28020—00300
2017–18 Bundesliga 9120—2[lower-alpha 2]0131
2018–19 Bundesliga 1010——20
Total 38150—20451
Wisła Kraków 2018–19 Ekstraklasa 8500——85
2019–20 Ekstraklasa 22700——227
2020–21 Ekstraklasa 16400——164
2021–22 Ekstraklasa 2000——20
2022–23 I liga 2000——20
Total 501600——5016
Career total 375603344734045967
  1. Appearance in DFL-Supercup
  2. Appearance(s) in Bundesliga relegation play-offs

International
Appearances and goals by national team and year[46]
National teamYearAppsGoals
Poland 200660
200771
200861
200980
201092
2011124
2012104
2013102
201400
201571
2016143
201781
201882
201930
202000
202100
202200
202310
Total10921
Scores and results list Poland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Błaszczykowski goal.[43]
List of international goals scored by Jakub Błaszczykowski
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
122 August 2007Lokomotiv Stadium, Moscow, Russia Russia2–22–2Friendly
211 October 2008Silesian Stadium, Chorzów, Poland Czech Republic2–02–12010 FIFA World Cup qualification
33 March 2010Stadion Polonii Warszawa, Warsaw, Poland Bulgaria1–02–0Friendly
49 October 2010Soldier Field, Chicago, United States United States2–22–2Friendly
510 August 2011Stadion Zagłębia Lubin, Lubin, Poland Georgia1–01–0Friendly
66 September 2011PGE Arena Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland Germany2–12–2Friendly
77 October 2011Seoul Olympic Stadium, Seoul, South Korea South Korea2–22–2Friendly
811 October 2011BRITA-Arena, Wiesbaden, Germany Belarus1–02–0Friendly
92 June 2012Stadion Wojska Polskiego, Warsaw, Poland Andorra3–04–0Friendly
1012 June 2012National Stadium, Warsaw, Poland Russia1–11–1UEFA Euro 2012
117 September 2012Podgorica City Stadium, Podgorica, Montenegro Montenegro1–02–22014 FIFA World Cup qualification
1211 September 2012Stadion Miejski, Wrocław, Poland Moldova1–02–02014 FIFA World Cup qualification
137 June 2013Zimbru Stadium, Chișinău, Moldova Moldova1–01–12014 FIFA World Cup qualification
1410 September 2013Stadio Olimpico, Serravalle, San Marino San Marino2–15–12014 FIFA World Cup qualification
157 September 2015National Stadium, Warsaw, Poland Gibraltar6–08–1UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying
1623 March 2016Stadion Miejski, Poznań, Poland Serbia1–01–0Friendly
1721 June 2016Stade Vélodrome, Marseille, France Ukraine1–01–0UEFA Euro 2016
1825 June 2016Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Étienne, France  Switzerland1–01–1UEFA Euro 2016
195 October 2017Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium, Yerevan, Armenia Armenia4–16–12018 FIFA World Cup qualification
2012 June 2018National Stadium, Warsaw, Poland Lithuania4–04–0Friendly
2111 October 2018Silesian Stadium, Chorzów, Poland Portugal2–32–32018–19 UEFA Nations League A

Honours

Wisła Kraków[43]

Borussia Dortmund[43]

Individual

See also

References
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