Jakub Blaszczykowski
Encyclopedia
Jakub Błaszczykowski (ˈjakub bwaʂtʂɨˈkɔfski; born 14 December 1985 in Truskolasy), also known by his Bundesliga shirt name Kuba, is a Polish
footballer who plays as a midfielder
for Borussia Dortmund
. He is the captain
of Poland national football team
.
. When he was 8 years old, he and his older brother Dawid began training at Raków Częstochowa
. At the age of 11, he lost his mother in a family tragedy. He was then raised by his grandmother, however, as a result of the shock of his mother's death, he stopped playing football entirely. A year later, he was persuaded to take part in a futsal
tournament where he was voted best player. His uncle Jerzy Brzęczek
, a former captain of the Polish national football team
urged him not to waste his talent. He decided to resume training at Raków Częstochowa
. In 2002, he transferred to Górnik Zabrze
but was unable to break through at the club. In early 2003 he joined KS Częstochowa and played in the Polish fourth league
until the end of 2004. His uncle then helped him get a trial at Wisła Kraków where he impressed then-manager Werner Lička
.
's "Football Oscar" for the best midfielder in the Polish top division.
for three million euros and joined the Bundesliga
side in July of that year. He usually plays on the wing where his dribbling and pace come in handy but Borussia have also played him at right-wingback on a few occasions.
He scored his first league goal for Borussia on 25 April 2008 in a 1-1 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt
.
He wears 'Kuba' on the back of his Dortmund shirt only. Kuba is a diminutive
form of Jakub.
In December 2008 he was voted Polish Footballer of the Year. and a month later, in January 2009 he was voted the best Borussia Dortmund Player of the Year by fans, outrunning Neven Subotić
and Alexander Frei. The Polish midfielder garnered more than 35% of the votes cast.
During the 2008–09 season he was plagued by a torn leg muscle.
on 28 March 2006 in a friendly against Saudi Arabia
. Although he did not receive a call up for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
, he was an important part of Poland's 2008 Euro qualifying campaign. He scored his first goal for Poland on 22 August 2007 in a friendly against Russia
.
He was named in Poland's squad for Euro 2008 but withdrew due to injury.
On 17 November 2010, he made his debut as captain of the Polish national team.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
footballer who plays as a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
for Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
. He is the captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
of Poland national football team
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
.
Early career
Jakub Błaszczykowski was raised in Truskolasy near CzęstochowaCzestochowa
Częstochowa is a city in south Poland on the Warta River with 240,027 inhabitants . It has been situated in the Silesian Voivodeship since 1999, and was previously the capital of Częstochowa Voivodeship...
. When he was 8 years old, he and his older brother Dawid began training at Raków Częstochowa
Raków Czestochowa
Raków Częstochowa is a Polish football club based in Częstochowa, in the south.- Current squad :-See also:*Football in Poland*List of football teams*Champions' Cup/League*UEFA Cup-External links: *...
. At the age of 11, he lost his mother in a family tragedy. He was then raised by his grandmother, however, as a result of the shock of his mother's death, he stopped playing football entirely. A year later, he was persuaded to take part in a futsal
Futsal
Futsal is a variant of association football that is played on a smaller pitch and mainly played indoors. Its name is a portmanteau of the Portuguese futebol de salão and the Spanish fútbol de salón , which can be translated as "hall football" or "indoor football"...
tournament where he was voted best player. His uncle Jerzy Brzęczek
Jerzy Brzeczek
Jerzy Józef Brzęczek is a former Polish footballer, who played as a midfielder.In a professional career which spanned nearly twenty years and brought nearly 50 caps with the national team, he played in his country, Austria and Israel.-Club:During his career, Brzęczek played for Raków Częstochowa,...
, a former captain of the Polish national football team
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
urged him not to waste his talent. He decided to resume training at Raków Częstochowa
Raków Czestochowa
Raków Częstochowa is a Polish football club based in Częstochowa, in the south.- Current squad :-See also:*Football in Poland*List of football teams*Champions' Cup/League*UEFA Cup-External links: *...
. In 2002, he transferred to Górnik Zabrze
Górnik Zabrze
Górnik Zabrze is a Polish football club from Zabrze. The club has won numerous championships, and was a dominant force in the 1960s and 1980s. For now Górnik has the most titles in Poland. The club plays in white or dark blue - red kit, and is based at the Ernest Pohl Stadium...
but was unable to break through at the club. In early 2003 he joined KS Częstochowa and played in the Polish fourth league
Polish Third League
III Liga is a Polish football league that sits at the 4th tier of the Polish football league system. Until the end of the 2007–08 season III Liga referred to a league at the 3rd tier, although this changed with the formation of the Ekstraklasa as the top level league in Poland...
until the end of 2004. His uncle then helped him get a trial at Wisła Kraków where he impressed then-manager Werner Lička
Werner Licka
Verner Lička is a Czech football player and later manager. He played for Czechoslovakia, for which he played 9 matches and scored 1 goal.-Career:...
.
Wisła Kraków
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 Wisła's starting eleven. With Wisła he won the Polish Ekstraklasa title in his debut season, and they were runners-up the following season. Additionally he won Canal+Canal+ Poland
Canal+ Poland is Poland's variation of the French television network Canal+. It is similar in many ways, including continuity and presentation. It also shows similar programs to Canal+ France like the tv-series The Simpsons....
's "Football Oscar" for the best midfielder in the Polish top division.
Borussia Dortmund
In February 2007 he signed a four-year contract with Borussia DortmundBorussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
for three million euros and joined the Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
side in July of that year. He usually plays on the wing where his dribbling and pace come in handy but Borussia have also played him at right-wingback on a few occasions.
He scored his first league goal for Borussia on 25 April 2008 in a 1-1 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt is a German sports club, based in Frankfurt, Hesse that is best known for its association football club.- Club origins :...
.
He wears 'Kuba' on the back of his Dortmund shirt only. Kuba is a diminutive
Diminutive
In language structure, a diminutive, or diminutive form , is a formation of a word used to convey a slight degree of the root meaning, smallness of the object or quality named, encapsulation, intimacy, or endearment...
form of Jakub.
In December 2008 he was voted Polish Footballer of the Year. and a month later, in January 2009 he was voted the best Borussia Dortmund Player of the Year by fans, outrunning Neven Subotić
Neven Subotic
Neven Subotić is a Serbian football defender, who plays for Borussia Dortmund of the German Bundesliga. He made his first-team debut in the 2006–07 season for 1. FSV Mainz 05. In 2008, he signed with Dortmund...
and Alexander Frei. The Polish midfielder garnered more than 35% of the votes cast.
During the 2008–09 season he was plagued by a torn leg muscle.
International career
Błaszczykowski debuted for the Poland national football teamPoland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
on 28 March 2006 in a friendly against Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. Although he did not receive a call up for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, he was an important part of Poland's 2008 Euro qualifying campaign. He scored his first goal for Poland on 22 August 2007 in a friendly against Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
He was named in Poland's squad for Euro 2008 but withdrew due to injury.
On 17 November 2010, he made his debut as captain of the Polish national team.
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 22 August 2007 | Moscow Moscow Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent... , Russia Russia Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects... |
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Friendly | |
| 2. | 11 October 2008 | Chorzów Chorzów Chorzów is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. Chorzów is one of the central districts of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union - a metropolis with a population of 2 million... , Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north... |
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2010 FIFA World Cup qualification 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification The qualification competition for the 2010 FIFA World Cup was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. Each confederation — the AFC , CAF , CONCACAF , CONMEBOL , OFC , and UEFA — was allocated a certain number of the 32 places at the tournament... |
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| 3. | 3 March 2010 | Warsaw Warsaw Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most... , Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north... |
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| 4. | 9 October 2010 | Chicago Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... , USA |
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Friendly | |
| 5. | 10 August 2011 | Lubin Lubin Lubin is a town in Lower Silesian Voivodeship in south-western Poland. From 1975–1998 it belonged to the former Legnica Voivodeship. Lubin is the administrative seat of Lubin County, and also of the rural district called Gmina Lubin, although it is not part of the territory of the latter,... , Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north... |
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| 6. | 6 September 2011 | Gdańsk Gdansk Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the... , Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north... |
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| 7. | 7 October 2011 | Seul SEUL Simple End User Linux is an advocacy group that promotes Linux programs in education and science.SEUL also hosts numerous free software projects and efforts, such as the WorldForge Project's website. The SEUL/Edu project seeks to further the use of Linux and Open Source software in schools, and was... , South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south... |
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| 8. | 11 October 2011 | Wiesbaden Wiesbaden Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
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Statistics
- (correct as of 26 November 2011)
| Club | Season | League | Domestic League | Domestic Cups | European Cups | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| KS Częstochowa | 2002–03 | III Liga Polish Third League III Liga is a Polish football league that sits at the 4th tier of the Polish football league system. Until the end of the 2007–08 season III Liga referred to a league at the 3rd tier, although this changed with the formation of the Ekstraklasa as the top level league in Poland... |
2 | 0 | – | – | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2003–04 | III Liga Polish Third League III Liga is a Polish football league that sits at the 4th tier of the Polish football league system. Until the end of the 2007–08 season III Liga referred to a league at the 3rd tier, although this changed with the formation of the Ekstraklasa as the top level league in Poland... |
13 | 5 | – | – | 13 | 5 | |||
| 2004–05 | III Liga Polish Third League III Liga is a Polish football league that sits at the 4th tier of the Polish football league system. Until the end of the 2007–08 season III Liga referred to a league at the 3rd tier, although this changed with the formation of the Ekstraklasa as the top level league in Poland... |
9 | 6 | – | – | 9 | 6 | |||
| Wisła Kraków | 2004–05 | Ekstraklasa | 11 | 1 | 4 | 1 | – | 15 | 2 | |
| 2005–06 | Ekstraklasa | 17 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 0 | |
| 2006–07 | Ekstraklasa | 23 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 32 | 3 | |
| Borussia Dortmund Borussia Dortmund Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football... |
2007–08 | Bundesliga Fußball-Bundesliga The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga... |
24 | 1 | 3 | 0 | – | 27 | 1 | |
| 2008–09 | Bundesliga Fußball-Bundesliga The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga... |
27 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 29 | 3 | |
| 2009–10 2009–10 Fußball-Bundesliga The 2009–10 Fußball-Bundesliga was the 47th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season commenced on 7 August 2009 with the traditional season opening match involving the defending champions VfL Wolfsburg and VfB Stuttgart. The last games were played on 8 May 2010... |
Bundesliga Fußball-Bundesliga The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga... |
32 | 1 | 2 | 0 | – | 34 | 1 | ||
| 2010–11 2010–11 Fußball-Bundesliga The 2010–11 Fußball-Bundesliga was the 48th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season started on the weekend of 21 August 2010 with the traditional season opening match involving the defending champions and ended with the last games on 14 May 2011. The winter... |
Bundesliga Fußball-Bundesliga The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga... |
29 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 37 | 3 | |
| 2011–12 2011–12 Fußball-Bundesliga The 2011–12 Fußball-Bundesliga is the 49th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season started on 5 August 2011 with the season opening match involving defending champions Borussia Dortmund and will end with the last games on 5 May 2012... |
Bundesliga Fußball-Bundesliga The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga... |
10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 0 | |
| Total | KS Częstochowa | 24 | 11 | - | - | - | - | 24 | 11 | |
| Total | Wisła Kraków | 51 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 67 | 5 | |
| Total | Borussia Dortmund | 122 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 143 | 8 | |
Borussia Dortmund
- BundesligaFußball-BundesligaThe Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
: 2010–112010–11 Fußball-BundesligaThe 2010–11 Fußball-Bundesliga was the 48th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season started on the weekend of 21 August 2010 with the traditional season opening match involving the defending champions and ended with the last games on 14 May 2011. The winter... - German Supercup: 2008
Individual
- Ekstraklasa Midfielder of the Year: 2006
- Polish Footballer of the Year: 2008, 2010
- Footballer of the Year by the readers of "Sport": 2008, 2010
- Borussia Dortmund Player of the Year: 2008
Personal life
Błaszczykowski and fiancee Agata Gołaszewska were married in June 2010. Their daughter was born on 20 April 2011.External links
- National team stats on the website of the Polish Football AssociationPolish Football AssociationThe Polish Football Association is the governing body of football in Poland. It organizes the Polish football leagues , the Polish Cup, the Polish SuperCup, the Polish League Cup, and the Polish national football team...
- Polish league stats on 90minut.pl
- Jakub Błaszczykowski at transfermarkt.de