Krzysztof Piątek facts for kids
Piątek with Hertha BSC in 2022
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Krzysztof Piątek | ||
| Date of birth | 1 July 1995 | ||
| Place of birth | Dzierżoniów, Poland | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Al Duhail | ||
| Number | 9 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2006 | Niemczanka Niemcza | ||
| 2006–2011 | Dziewiątka Dzierżoniów | ||
| 2011–2012 | Lechia Dzierżoniów | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2012–2013 | Lechia Dzierżoniów | 6 | (0) |
| 2013–2016 | Zagłębie Lubin | 72 | (15) |
| 2016–2018 | Cracovia | 63 | (32) |
| 2018–2019 | Genoa | 19 | (13) |
| 2019–2020 | AC Milan | 36 | (13) |
| 2020–2023 | Hertha BSC | 56 | (12) |
| 2021–2022 | → Fiorentina (loan) | 14 | (3) |
| 2022–2023 | → Salernitana (loan) | 33 | (4) |
| 2023–2025 | İstanbul Başakşehir | 67 | (38) |
| 2025– | Al-Duhail | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2015–2016 | Poland U20 | 3 | (1) |
| 2015–2017 | Poland U21 | 14 | (2) |
| 2018– | Poland | 37 | (12) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14:06, 2 June 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 2:19 10 June 2025 (UTC) |
|||
Krzysztof Piątek (born on July 1, 1995) is a Polish professional football player. He plays as a striker for the Qatar Stars League club Al Duhail. He also plays for the Poland national team.
Piątek started his career in Poland with Ekstraklasa club Zagłębie Lubin. He scored 15 goals in 72 games for them. Then he joined Cracovia in 2016, where he scored 32 goals in two seasons. In 2018, Piątek moved to Italy to play for Genoa in Serie A. He scored 19 goals in 21 games in his first half-season. This led to a transfer to AC Milan in January 2019. A year later, he signed with Hertha BSC in Germany. He then played on loan for Italian clubs Fiorentina and Salernitana. In 2023, he joined İstanbul Başakşehir in Turkey. He became their second-highest goal scorer over two seasons. In 2025, he moved to the Qatari team Al-Duhail SC.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting Out in Poland
Piątek began his football journey with local teams Niemczanka Niemcza and Dziewiątka Dzierżoniów. From 2011, he played for Lechia Dzierżoniów in the III liga.
Time at Zagłębie Lubin
In 2013, Piątek joined Zagłębie Lubin. He first played for their junior and reserve teams. His coach, Piotr Stokowiec, soon moved him to the main team. Piątek made his Ekstraklasa debut on May 18, 2014. He became a regular player for Zagłębie, who were in I liga, Poland's second division.
He scored his first goal on September 12, 2014. He helped Zagłębie get promoted to the top league. In the 2015–16 Ekstraklasa season, he scored his first league goal on August 14, 2015. The team finished third, which was a great achievement. They even qualified for European competitions. Piątek played 85 matches for Zagłębie, scoring 18 goals. This included games in the Polish Cup and UEFA Europa League qualifiers.
Playing for Cracovia
In 2016, Piątek moved to another Polish club, Cracovia. Over two seasons, he scored 32 goals in 65 league games. In his second season, he scored 21 goals. This made him the third-highest goal scorer in Poland for the 2017–18 Ekstraklasa season.
Moving to Italy: Genoa
On June 8, 2018, Piątek signed a four-year contract with the Italian club Genoa. The transfer fee was about €4 million. He had an amazing debut in the Coppa Italia, scoring four goals, including three in the first 19 minutes.
He scored in his Serie A debut on August 26. He became the first player since Andriy Shevchenko in 1999 to score five goals in his first four Serie A games. He also became the first player in Europe's top leagues to reach 10 goals that season. On September 30, he scored two goals in three minutes against Frosinone. This was the best start to a season by a new player since 1949. He also became the first player since Gabriel Batistuta in 1994 to score in his first seven Serie A matches.
Joining AC Milan
On January 23, 2019, AC Milan signed Piątek until June 30, 2023. The fee was around €35 million. He took the number 19 shirt. Piątek made his Milan debut on January 26. Three days later, he scored both goals in a 2–0 win against Napoli in the Coppa Italia.
On February 3, he scored his first league goal for Milan. He then scored three goals in his next two games. This made him the first Milan player since Mario Balotelli in 2013 to score in his first three league starts. For the 2019–20 Serie A season, Piątek changed to the number 9 shirt. He scored four league goals before leaving the club.
Playing in Germany: Hertha BSC
In January 2020, Hertha BSC signed Piątek for about €27 million. He received the number 7 jersey. He debuted on January 31. He scored his first goal for Hertha on February 4 in a cup game. His first Bundesliga goal came on February 28 from a penalty.
In the 2020–21 Bundesliga season, Piątek scored his first goal on November 7. On December 4, he scored two goals in three minutes against Union Berlin. On May 12, he broke his ankle, which kept him out of action until September. He returned on September 25. He scored his final goal for Hertha a week later.
Loan to Fiorentina
On January 8, 2022, Piątek returned to Italy, joining Fiorentina on loan. He debuted on January 13 in a cup win. On February 10, he scored two goals in a cup quarter-final. Four days later, he scored his first league goal for Fiorentina. He finished the Serie A season with 14 games and 3 goals. He helped Fiorentina qualify for a European competition.
Loan to Salernitana
On September 1, 2022, Piątek joined Salernitana on loan.
Moving to Turkey: İstanbul Başakşehir
On July 18, 2023, Piątek signed a three-year contract with the Turkish club İstanbul Başakşehir. He scored his first three goals for the club on January 28, 2024, helping his team win 3–2. He ended the season with another three goals in a 6–2 victory. In the 2023–24 season, he scored 17 goals in 34 league games. This made him the club's top scorer in the league. On December 12, 2024, he scored a goal and assisted another in a European Conference League match.
New Chapter in Qatar: Al-Duhail
On June 3, 2025, Piątek joined Qatar Stars League club Al-Duhail. The transfer fee was reported to be €10 million. This move made him the most expensive Polish player ever, with total transfer fees reaching €76.5 million.
International Career
_(cropped).jpg)
Piątek was part of Poland's first team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. However, he was not in the final squad. His international debut was on September 11, 2018, in a friendly game against the Republic of Ireland. A month later, he scored his first goal for Poland in a UEFA Nations League match against Portugal.
He was expected to be a key player for the national team. But he missed the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament due to an ankle injury in May 2021. On November 10, 2022, Piątek was included in Poland's squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He played in two group stage games as a substitute. On June 7, 2024, he was named in the final squad for UEFA Euro 2024. On June 21, he scored a goal in Poland's second game of the tournament against Austria.
How He Plays
Piątek is known as a "classic" "number 9" striker. He is best when he is inside the opponent's penalty area. He is good at finding the right spot, finishing accurately, and is strong in the air. He also fights hard for the ball. Some areas he could improve are his team play outside the penalty area and his passing.
At Genoa, Piątek played as a main striker in a 3–5–2 formation. He was often supported by Christian Kouamé, a fast player good at dribbling. At Milan, he played as a single striker in a 4–3–3 formation, with wingers helping him.
Piątek looks up to Harry Kane and Robert Lewandowski. He also said Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry were his heroes when he was a child.
Personal Life
Krzysztof Piątek is married to Paulina Procyk. They got married on June 1, 2019, at the Castle of the Order of St. John in Łagów, Poland.
Fans call him "Il Pistolero," which means "the Gunslinger." This nickname comes from his goal celebration, where he pretends to fire a gun. This is like the cowboys from the old Wild West.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Lechia Dzierżoniów | 2012–13 | III liga, gr. E | 6 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 | ||
| Zagłębie Lubin | 2013–14 | Ekstraklasa | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | |
| 2014–15 | I liga | 30 | 8 | 3 | 1 | — | 33 | 9 | ||
| 2015–16 | Ekstraklasa | 33 | 6 | 3 | 2 | — | 36 | 8 | ||
| 2016–17 | Ekstraklasa | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 12 | 1 | |
| Total | 72 | 15 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 85 | 18 | ||
| Cracovia | 2016–17 | Ekstraklasa | 27 | 11 | — | — | 27 | 11 | ||
| 2017–18 | Ekstraklasa | 36 | 21 | 2 | 0 | — | 38 | 21 | ||
| Total | 63 | 32 | 2 | 0 | — | 65 | 32 | |||
| Genoa | 2018–19 | Serie A | 19 | 13 | 2 | 6 | — | 21 | 19 | |
| AC Milan | 2018–19 | Serie A | 18 | 9 | 3 | 2 | — | 21 | 11 | |
| 2019–20 | Serie A | 18 | 4 | 2 | 1 | — | 20 | 5 | ||
| Total | 36 | 13 | 5 | 3 | — | 41 | 16 | |||
| Hertha BSC | 2019–20 | Bundesliga | 15 | 4 | 1 | 1 | — | 16 | 5 | |
| 2020–21 | Bundesliga | 32 | 7 | 0 | 0 | — | 32 | 7 | ||
| 2021–22 | Bundesliga | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 10 | 1 | ||
| Total | 56 | 12 | 2 | 1 | — | 58 | 13 | |||
| Fiorentina (loan) | 2021–22 | Serie A | 14 | 3 | 4 | 3 | — | 18 | 6 | |
| Salernitana (loan) | 2022–23 | Serie A | 33 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | 33 | 4 | |
| İstanbul Başakşehir | 2023–24 | Süper Lig | 34 | 17 | 2 | 0 | — | 36 | 17 | |
| 2024–25 | Süper Lig | 33 | 21 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 9 | 48 | 31 | |
| Total | 67 | 38 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 9 | 84 | 48 | ||
| Al-Duhail | 2025–26 | Qatar Stars League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career total | 366 | 130 | 27 | 17 | 18 | 9 | 411 | 156 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poland | 2018 | 2 | 1 |
| 2019 | 8 | 4 | |
| 2020 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2021 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2022 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2024 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 37 | 12 | |
- As of match played June 21, 2024. Poland score listed first, score column indicates score after each Piątek goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
October 11, 2018 | Stadion Śląski, Chorzów, Poland | 2 |  Portugal |
1–0 | 2–3 | 2018–19 UEFA Nations League A |
|
|
March 21, 2019 | Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria | 3 |  Austria |
1–0 | 1–0 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying |
|
|
June 7, 2019 | Philip II Arena, Skopje, North Macedonia | 5 |  Macedonia |
1–0 | 1–0 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying |
|
|
June 10, 2019 | Stadion Narodowy, Warsaw, Poland | 6 |  Israel |
1–0 | 4–0 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying |
|
|
November 16, 2019 | Teddy Stadium, Jerusalem, Israel | 10 | Israel |
2–0 | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying |
|
|
October 7, 2020 | Stadion Energa, Gdańsk, Poland | 12 |  Finland |
4–0 | 5–1 | Friendly |
|
|
November 11, 2020 | Stadion Śląski, Chorzów, Poland | 14 |  Ukraine |
1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
|
|
March 25, 2021 | Puskás Aréna, Budapest, Hungary | 16 |  Hungary |
1–2 | 3–3 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
|
|
October 9, 2021 | Stadion Narodowy, Warsaw, Poland | 19 |  San Marino |
5–0 | 5–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
|
|
March 24, 2022 | Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland | 22 |  Scotland |
1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
|
|
November 16, 2022 | Stadion Wojska Polskiego, Warsaw, Poland | 25 |  Chile |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
|
|
June 21, 2024 | Olympiastadion, Berlin, Germany | 30 | Austria |
1–1 | 1–3 | UEFA Euro 2024 |
Awards and Achievements
Zagłębie Lublin
- I liga: 2014–15 (Won the second division league)
Individual Awards
- Ekstraklasa Player of the Month: April 2018
See also
In Spanish: Krzysztof Piątek para niños
