Jacek Krzynówek facts for kids

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Jacek Krzynówek

Krzynówek with Poland in 2007
Personal information
Full name	Jacek Krzynówek
Date of birth	(1976-05-15) 15 May 1976 (age 49)
Place of birth	Kamieńsk, Poland
Height	1.79 m
Playing position	Midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1994–1996	RKS Radomsko	9	(1)
1996–1997	Raków Częstochowa	17	(0)
1997–1999	GKS Bełchatów	61	(11)
1999–2004	1. FC Nürnberg	142	(28)
2004–2006	Bayer Leverkusen	52	(9)
2006–2009	VfL Wolfsburg	55	(7)
2009–2010	Hannover 96	25	(2)
Total		361	(58)
National team
1998–2009	Poland	96	(15)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Jacek Kamil Krzynówek (born May 15, 1976) is a Polish former professional footballer. He played as a midfielder, which is a player who helps both defend and attack on the field.

Many people think Jacek is one of the best Polish footballers ever. He won many awards and trophies, both in Poland and in other countries. He was even named the Polish Footballer of the Year twice, in 2003 and 2004!

Jacek played 96 international matches for the Polish national team, scoring 15 goals. He is also a special member of the Elite Poland national team Footballers group by the PZPN. One of the most exciting moments in his career was scoring an amazing goal against Real Madrid in the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League.

Football Career Highlights

Starting His Journey

Jacek Krzynówek started his football journey with a club called LZS Chrzanowice. In 1994, he joined RKS Radomsko and played there for two seasons. After that, he moved to another Polish club, Raków Częstochowa. He played his first top-level match in Poland's main league, the Ekstraklasa, on July 28, 1996.

After one season with Raków, Jacek joined GKS Bełchatów, which was in the second division of Polish football. In the 1997–98 season, he helped his team get promoted to the Ekstraklasa. Even though his club went back down to the second division, Jacek's great skills caught the eye of scouts from other clubs. This included 1. FC Nürnberg from Germany and even the coach of the Polish national team, Janusz Wójcik.

Playing for Poland and in Germany

While still playing for GKS Bełchatów, Jacek made his first appearance for the Polish national team. This happened on November 10, 1998, in a match against Slovakia, which Poland won 3–1.

In 1999, he moved to Germany to play for 1. FC Nürnberg in the 2. Bundesliga, which is Germany's second-highest football league. He rejoined the national team in early 2000 when Jerzy Engel became the new coach. Jacek quickly became one of the most important players for Poland. He helped them qualify for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, a huge international tournament.

In 2002, Jacek helped 1. FC Nürnberg get promoted to the Bundesliga, which is Germany's top football league. He was even named the best left midfielder in the 2. Bundesliga that year. Also in 2002, he went to South Korea and Japan for the 2002 World Cup with Poland. Even though Poland didn't do very well, Jacek was praised for his performance and played in all three of their matches.

He missed much of the 2002–03 season because of an injury. In late 2003, he played in important matches for Poland to qualify for the UEFA Euro 2004 tournament. However, Poland did not make it to the tournament, and 1. FC Nürnberg was unfortunately relegated from the Bundesliga.

Because of his strong performances, Jacek moved to another Bundesliga club, Bayer Leverkusen. In the 2004–05 season, he was one of Leverkusen’s best players. He, along with teammates Andriy Voronin and Dimitar Berbatov, attracted a lot of attention from other big European clubs. Bayer Leverkusen also did well in the UEFA Champions League, a top European club competition. They beat famous teams like Real Madrid and A.S. Roma in the group stage. They were later knocked out by Liverpool F.C., who went on to win the tournament. Jacek scored three goals in the Champions League that season, including a fantastic long-range shot against Real Madrid.

During the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification matches, Jacek played in the most important games for Poland. He helped Poland qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. However, he got another injury in early 2006, which made it hard for him to play regularly for his club, Bayer Leverkusen. This affected his performance at the 2006 World Cup, where Poland lost to Ecuador and Germany. After a difficult 2005–06 season, he moved to VfL Wolfsburg.

Jacek was a key player in Poland's journey to qualify for UEFA Euro 2008. He scored four goals in these matches, including three against Azerbaijan. He also scored an amazing goal in the 87th minute against Portugal. His powerful left-foot shot from far away hit the post and then bounced off the Portuguese goalkeeper Ricardo into the net. Because of his excellent performances, he was chosen for Eurosport's dream team as the left midfielder. Poland also qualified for UEFA Euro 2008, which was the first time in their history they competed in this tournament.

On February 2, 2009, Jacek Krzynówek moved to Hannover 96, where he played until the summer of 2010.

Retirement from Football

On August 15, 2011, Jacek Krzynówek officially announced that he was retiring from professional football. He had played 178 matches in the Bundesliga, Germany's top league.

After retiring, he worked as the sporting director for his former club, GKS Bełchatów, from July 2015 to May 2016.

International Statistics

International Goals

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	28 February 2001	Larnaca, Cyprus	Switzerland	4–0	4–0	Friendly
2.	30 April 2003	Brussels, Belgium	Belgium	1–2	1–3	Friendly
3.	6 June 2003	Poznań, Poland	Kazakhstan	3–0	3–0	Friendly
4.	12 November 2003	Warsaw, Poland	Italy	3–1	3–1	Friendly
5.	4 September 2004	Belfast, Northern Ireland	Northern Ireland	3–0	3–0	2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
6.	9 October 2004	Vienna, Austria	Austria	2–1	3–1	2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
7.	13 October 2004	Cardiff, Wales	Wales	3–1	3–2	2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
8.	26 March 2005	Warsaw, Poland	Azerbaijan	6–0	8–0	2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
9.	7 October 2005	Warsaw, Poland	Iceland	1–1	3–2	Friendly
10.	24 March 2007	Warsaw, Poland	Azerbaijan	4–0	5–0	UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
11.	2 June 2007	Baku, Azerbaijan	Azerbaijan	2–1	3–1	UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
12.				3–1
13.	22 August 2007	Moscow, Russia	Russia	1–2	2–2	Friendly
14.	8 September 2007	Lisbon, Portugal	Portugal	2–2	2–2	UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
15.	1 June 2008	Chorzów, Poland	Denmark	1–1	1–1	Friendly

Honours

Individual

• Polish Footballer of the Year: 2003, 2004

See also

In Spanish: Jacek Krzynówek para niños