Krzysztof Piątek facts for kids
Piątek with Hertha BSC in 2022
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 1 July 1995 | ||
| Place of birth | Dzierżoniów, Poland | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | İstanbul Başakşehir | ||
| 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– | İstanbul Başakşehir | 53 | (32) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2015–2016 | Poland U20 | 3 | (1) |
| 2015–2017 | Poland U21 | 14 | (2) |
| 2018– | Poland | 33 | (12) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Krzysztof Piątek (born on July 1, 1995) is a professional footballer from Poland. He plays as a striker for the Turkish club İstanbul Başakşehir. He also plays for the Polish national team.
Piątek started his professional journey with Ekstraklasa club Zagłębie Lubin. He scored 15 goals in 72 games over four seasons. In 2016, he joined Cracovia, where he scored 32 goals in two seasons. In 2018, Piątek moved to Italy to play for Genoa in Serie A. He quickly scored 19 goals in 21 games. This led to a transfer to AC Milan in January 2019. A year later, he moved to Hertha BSC in Germany.
Contents
Krzysztof Piątek's Club Journey
Starting His Football Career
Krzysztof Piątek began playing football at a young age. He started with local teams like Niemczanka Niemcza and Dziewiątka Dzierżoniów. In 2011, he joined Lechia Dzierżoniów, a team in Poland's third division.
Playing for Zagłębie Lubin
In 2013, Piątek signed with Zagłębie Lubin. He first played for their junior and reserve teams. His new coach, Piotr Stokowiec, soon moved him to the main team. Piątek made his top-league debut in Poland (Ekstraklasa) on May 18, 2014.
The next season, he became a regular player for Zagłębie. They were in the second division, called I liga. He scored his first goal on September 12, 2014. He helped his team get promoted back to the Ekstraklasa. In the 2015–16 season, he scored his first league goal on August 14, 2015. His team finished third, which was a great achievement. This also meant they could play in European competitions. Piątek played 85 matches for Zagłębie and scored 18 goals.
Time at Cracovia
In 2016, Piątek moved to another Polish club, Cracovia. He played there for two seasons. During this time, he scored 32 goals in 65 league games. In his second season (2017–18), he scored 21 goals. This made him the third-highest goalscorer in Poland that year.
Moving to Genoa in Italy
On June 8, 2018, Piątek signed a four-year contract with the Italian club Genoa. The transfer cost about €4 million. He had an amazing debut, scoring four goals in a cup match against Lecce. He even scored three of them in the first 19 minutes!
He made his Serie A debut on August 26, scoring a goal early in the game. He then scored two goals in his next match. He became the first player since 1999 to score five goals in his first four Serie A games. Piątek scored his 10th goal across all competitions in his next match. This made him the first player in Europe's major leagues to reach 10 goals that season. He continued to impress, scoring in his first seven Serie A games. This was a record not seen since the 1994–95 season.
Playing for AC Milan
On January 23, 2019, AC Milan signed Piątek. He joined them on a contract until June 2023 for about €35 million. He took over the number 19 shirt.
Piątek played his first game for Milan on January 26. Three days later, he scored both goals in a 2–0 win against Napoli in the Coppa Italia. The fans gave him a standing ovation. On February 3, he scored his first league goal for Milan. He then scored three goals in his next two matches. This made him the first Milan player since 2013 to score in his first three league starts. Before the 2019–20 season, Piątek changed his shirt number to 9. He scored four league goals before leaving the club.
Time at Hertha BSC
In January 2020, Hertha BSC in Germany signed Piątek for about €27 million. He received the number 7 jersey. He made his debut on January 31. He scored his first goal for Hertha on February 4 in a cup game. Piątek scored his first Bundesliga goal from a penalty on February 28.
He scored his first goal in the 2020–21 Bundesliga season on November 7. On December 4, Piątek scored two goals in three minutes, helping Hertha win 3–1 against Union Berlin. In May, he broke his ankle during a game. This injury kept him out of play until September.
Piątek returned from injury on September 25. A week later, he scored his final goal for Hertha.
Loan to Fiorentina
On January 8, 2022, Piątek went back to Italy. He joined Fiorentina on a loan deal. He made his debut on January 13 in a cup match. On February 10, Piątek scored two goals in a cup quarter-final win. Four days later, he scored his first league goal for Fiorentina. He finished the Serie A season with 14 games and 3 goals for Fiorentina. He helped them qualify for a European competition.
Loan to Salernitana
On September 1, 2022, Piątek joined Salernitana on another loan.
Joining İstanbul Başakşehir
On July 18, 2023, Piątek signed a three-year contract with the Turkish club İstanbul Başakşehir. On January 28, 2024, he scored his first hat-trick for the club. This means he scored three goals in one game. His team came back from being 0–2 down to win 3–2. He ended the season with another hat-trick on May 26. In the 2023–24 season, he scored 17 goals in 34 league games. This made him the club's top goalscorer in the league. On December 12, 2024, he scored a goal and set up another in a European game.
Krzysztof Piątek's International Career
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Even though he hadn't played for the main Polish team yet, Piątek was considered for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He was in the first group of 35 players, but he didn't make the final team.
Piątek made his international debut for Poland on September 11, 2018. It was a friendly game against the Republic of Ireland. Exactly one month later, he played his first competitive game. He scored the first goal against Portugal in a UEFA Nations League match.
Piątek was seen as an important player for the national team. He was expected to play alongside famous strikers like Robert Lewandowski. However, he missed the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament due to an ankle injury in May 2021.
On November 10, 2022, Piątek was chosen for Poland's 2022 FIFA World Cup team. He played in two group stage games as a substitute. On June 7, 2024, he was named in the final team for UEFA Euro 2024. In Poland's second game of the tournament on June 21, he scored a goal against Austria.
How Krzysztof Piątek Plays Football
Piątek is known as a "classic" "number 9" striker. This means he is best at scoring goals from inside the opponent's penalty area. He is good at finding the right spot, finishing accurately, and is strong in the air. He is also very determined when challenging opponents.
Some areas he could improve are his team play outside the penalty area and his ability to create chances for others. When he played for Genoa, he was usually the main striker in a 3–5–2 formation. At AC Milan, he played as a single striker in a 4–3–3 formation, with other players supporting him from the sides.
Piątek looks up to famous strikers like Harry Kane and Robert Lewandowski. He also said that Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry were his heroes when he was a child.
Krzysztof Piątek's Personal Life
Krzysztof Piątek is married to Paulina Procyk. They got married on June 1, 2019, in a castle in Poland.
Fans call him "Il Pistolero," which means "the Gunslinger." This nickname comes from his goal celebration. After scoring, he often pretends to fire a gun, like a cowboy from the Wild West.
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Europe | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Lechia Dzierżoniów | 2012–13 | III liga | 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 | |
| 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 | 19 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 9 | 32 | 25 | |
| Total | 53 | 32 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 9 | 68 | 42 | ||
| Career total | 352 | 124 | 25 | 17 | 18 | 9 | 395 | 150 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poland | 2018 | 2 | 1 |
| 2019 | 8 | 4 | |
| 2020 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2021 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2022 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2024 | 6 | 1 | |
| Total | 33 | 12 | |
- As of match played 21 June 2024. Poland score listed first, score column indicates score after each Piątek goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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11 October 2018 | Stadion Śląski, Chorzów, Poland | 2 |  Portugal |
1–0 | 2–3 | 2018–19 UEFA Nations League A |
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21 March 2019 | Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria | 3 |  Austria |
1–0 | 1–0 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying |
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7 June 2019 | Philip II Arena, Skopje, North Macedonia | 5 |  Macedonia |
1–0 | 1–0 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying |
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10 June 2019 | Stadion Narodowy, Warsaw, Poland | 6 |  Israel |
1–0 | 4–0 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying |
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16 November 2019 | Teddy Stadium, Jerusalem, Israel | 10 | Israel |
2–0 | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying |
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7 October 2020 | Stadion Energa, Gdańsk, Poland | 12 |  Finland |
4–0 | 5–1 | Friendly |
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11 November 2020 | Stadion Śląski, Chorzów, Poland | 14 |  Ukraine |
1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
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25 March 2021 | Puskás Aréna, Budapest, Hungary | 16 |  Hungary |
1–2 | 3–3 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
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9 October 2021 | Stadion Narodowy, Warsaw, Poland | 19 |  San Marino |
5–0 | 5–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
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24 March 2022 | Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland | 22 |  Scotland |
1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
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16 November 2022 | Stadion Wojska Polskiego, Warsaw, Poland | 25 |  Chile |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
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21 June 2024 | Olympiastadion, Berlin, Germany | 30 | Austria |
1–1 | 1–3 | UEFA Euro 2024 |
Awards and Achievements
Zagłębie Lublin
- I liga: 2014–15 (Second division champions)
Individual Awards
- Ekstraklasa Player of the Month: April 2018
- İBFK MVP of the Season: 2023-24 (Most Valuable Player for İstanbul Başakşehir)
- İBFK Player of the Month: November 2023, December 2023, January 2024, February 2024, April 2024
See also
In Spanish: Krzysztof Piątek para niños
