Piotr Zieliński facts for kids
Zieliński with Poland at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Piotr Sebastian Zieliński | ||
| Date of birth | 20 May 1994 | ||
| Place of birth | Ząbkowice Śląskie, Poland | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Inter Milan | ||
| Number | 7 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2003–2007 | Orzeł Ząbkowice Śląskie | ||
| 2007–2011 | Zagłębie Lubin | ||
| 2011–2012 | Udinese | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2012–2016 | Udinese | 19 | (0) |
| 2014–2016 | → Empoli (loan) | 63 | (5) |
| 2016–2024 | Napoli | 281 | (37) |
| 2024– | Inter Milan | 26 | (2) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2009 | Poland U15 | 6 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | Poland U16 | ||
| 2010–2011 | Poland U17 | 10 | (1) |
| 2012 | Poland U18 | 5 | (1) |
| 2011–2012 | Poland U19 | 15 | (5) |
| 2012–2013 | Poland U21 | 3 | (1) |
| 2013– | Poland | 99 | (14) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:58, 18 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 18 November 2024 |
|||
Piotr Sebastian Zieliński (born on May 20, 1994) is a professional footballer from Poland. He plays as a midfielder for the Serie A club Inter Milan. He is also the captain of the Poland national team. Piotr is known for being a very flexible player, good at passing, dribbling, and having lots of energy.
Piotr started his senior club career in Italy with Udinese in 2012. Later, he joined Empoli on loan in 2014. In 2016, he moved to another Italian club, Napoli. He became a very important player for Napoli. He helped them win the Coppa Italia and their first Serie A title in 33 years. He played 364 matches for Napoli, making him one of their most loyal and long-serving players from 2016 to 2024. In 2024, he joined Inter Milan.
For his country, Piotr has played over 90 games for Poland since 2013. He played in major tournaments like UEFA Euro 2016, 2018 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2020, 2022 World Cup, and UEFA Euro 2024. In 2023, he was named the Polish Footballer of the Year. Many people think he is one of the best Polish footballers ever.
Contents
Piotr Zieliński's Club Journey
Starting Out in Football
Piotr Zieliński began playing football at his local club, Orzeł Ząbkowice Śląskie. His own father was his coach there! When he was 14, he joined Zagłębie Lubin. Big clubs like Bayer Leverkusen and Liverpool were interested in him even then. He also had trials with Feyenoord and Heerenveen.
He spent four years at Zagłębie Lubin's academy. He even started training with the first team when he was just 15. At 17, he moved to Italy to join Udinese. They had noticed his talent at an international youth tournament.
Playing for Udinese
Piotr played in the youth league for Udinese in the 2011–12 season. He scored two goals in twelve matches. He made his first team debut in Serie A on November 2, 2012. He came on as a substitute in a match against Cagliari. On April 14, 2013, he started his first game for Udinese and helped them win 3–0 against Parma.
Loan to Empoli
In 2014, Zieliński joined Empoli on loan. He made his first appearance for Empoli on August 13, 2014. He also played in the Coppa Italia for the first time in December 2014. He finished his first loan season with Empoli having played 30 games and made 3 assists. He stayed for another season in July 2015.
In the 2015–16 Serie A season, he became a regular starter for Empoli. He scored his first goal in Serie A on October 24, 2015, helping Empoli win 2–0 against Genoa. He scored a total of 5 goals and made 3 assists in 37 matches for Empoli that season. Before the next season, he even talked with Liverpool about joining them.
Time at Napoli
Joining Napoli and First Season (2016–2017)
On August 4, 2016, Piotr Zieliński moved from Udinese to Napoli. He made his debut for Napoli on August 21, 2016. He came on as a substitute in a 2–2 draw against Pescara. On September 13, 2016, he played his first Champions League game for Napoli. He became the 57th Polish player to play in the Champions League for a foreign club. He scored his first goal for Napoli on December 3, 2016, in a 3–0 win against Inter Milan. He ended his first season with 6 goals and 6 assists in 47 matches.
Second Season (2017–2018)
Zieliński started the 2017–18 Serie A season strong, scoring in Napoli's first game. He scored his first Champions League goal on November 21, 2017, in a 3–0 win against Shakhtar Donetsk. He also scored in the UEFA Europa League for the first time on February 22, 2018. Napoli finished second in Serie A that season, and Piotr played in 36 league matches, scoring 4 goals.
Third Season (2018–2019)
_65.jpg)
In the 2018–19 Serie A season, Zieliński scored two goals in a tough match against AC Milan, helping his team come back from being 2–0 down to win. He also scored in a UEFA Europa League match against FC Zürich. He finished the season by scoring Napoli's first goal in a big 4–1 win over Inter Milan.
Winning the Coppa Italia (2019–2020)
_27.jpg)
On June 17, 2020, Zieliński and Napoli won the Coppa Italia! They beat Juventus in a penalty shootout in the final. This was a big achievement for the team. He signed a new contract with Napoli until June 2023.
Strong Performances (2020–2021)
Zieliński had a great season. He scored a goal and made an assist in a huge 6–0 win over Genoa. He unfortunately tested positive for COVID-19 and missed some games but returned strong. On January 3, 2021, he scored two goals against Cagliari. He even captained Napoli for the first time on February 6, 2021. He ended the season with 10 goals and 13 assists in 46 matches.
Continued Success (2021–2022)
Piotr scored his first goal of the 2021–22 Serie A season on September 23, 2021, in a 4–0 win. On October 31, 2021, he scored the only goal in a derby match against Salernitana. This goal also made him the second-highest Polish goal-scorer in Serie A history! He scored a goal in a Europa League match against Barcelona in February 2022.
Winning the Serie A Title (2022–2023)
On October 4, 2022, Zieliński scored another Champions League goal in Napoli's amazing 6–1 win against Ajax. A huge moment came on May 4, 2023. After a 1–1 draw against Udinese, Piotr and his Napoli teammates celebrated winning the Serie A title! This was Napoli's first league title in 33 years, since the time of Diego Maradona. In December 2023, he was named Polish Footballer of the Year, beating Robert Lewandowski.
Final Season with Napoli (2023–2024)
In his last season with Napoli, Piotr scored a goal in a 4–2 win against Monza in April 2024. He also scored two goals and made an assist in a Champions League group stage match against Liverpool, which Napoli won 4–1. At the end of June 2024, it was announced that Zieliński left Napoli after his contract ended. He played a total of 364 matches for Napoli, scoring 51 goals and providing 46 assists.
Joining Inter Milan
On July 3, 2024, Zieliński joined another Serie A club, Inter Milan, for free. He scored his first two goals for Inter Milan on October 27, 2024. Both were penalty kicks in a thrilling 4–4 draw against Juventus. On November 26, 2024, he was named the UEFA Man of the Match for his great performance in Inter Milan's 1–0 win over RB Leipzig in the 2024–25 UEFA Champions League.
Piotr Zieliński's International Career
Piotr Zieliński made his first appearance for the Poland national team on June 4, 2013. This was in a friendly match against Liechtenstein. On July 31, 2013, he scored his first goal for Poland in a friendly match against Denmark, helping Poland win 3–2.
In May 2018, he was chosen for Poland's team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He scored a goal against Italy in a UEFA Nations League match in September 2018. He also provided an assist in a UEFA European Championship qualifying match against Israel in June 2019.
On March 5, 2021, he made an assist in a FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Hungary. He scored a goal in a friendly match against Iceland in June 2021. At the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament, he assisted a goal for Robert Lewandowski against Sweden. On November 26, 2022, he scored the first goal in Poland's 2–0 win over Saudi Arabia at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
In June 2024, he scored a goal in a friendly match against Ukraine. He also made an assist in a Euro 2024 group stage match against the Netherlands. On October 15, 2024, he scored a goal in a 3–3 draw against Croatia in the UEFA Nations League. On June 8, 2025, Piotr Zieliński was named the new captain of the Poland national team. He took over from Robert Lewandowski.
Piotr Zieliński's Playing Style
Zieliński usually plays as a midfielder on the left side, but he can also play on the right. He is known for his amazing ball control, very accurate passes, and his ability to move well in small spaces. One of his special skills is being able to shoot equally well with both feet. He worked very hard since he was a child to become good with both feet.
His steady performance, ability to understand the game, and important passes made him a key player for Napoli. He helped them win the Coppa Italia in 2020 and the Serie A title in 2023. Piotr looks up to famous footballers like Zinedine Zidane and Marek Hamšík. When he was younger, he also admired Tomáš Rosický.
Piotr Zieliński's Personal Life
Piotr has two older brothers, Tomasz and Paweł, who are also footballers. On June 15, 2019, Piotr married Laura Słowiak. They have a son named Maksymilian, who was born in 2021. In 2021, he passed an Italian language exam, showing he is good at speaking Italian.
Piotr is also known for his kindness. On January 9, 2023, he received an award for setting up and funding two children's homes in Poland. On October 6, 2023, he officially became an Italian citizen. In December 2023, he was made an honorary citizen of Giugliano in Campania, a town in Italy.
Honours
Napoli
- Serie A: 2022–23
- Coppa Italia: 2019–20
Inter Milan
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2024–25
- Supercoppa Italiana runner-up: 2024–25
Poland U21
- Four Nations Tournament: 2014–15
Individual
- Polish Footballer of the Year: 2023
Images for kids
-
Zieliński with Poland in 2019.
_(cropped).jpg)
See also
In Spanish: Piotr Zieliński para niños
