Piotr Zieliński facts for kids
Zieliński with Poland at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 20 May 1994 | ||
| Place of birth | Ząbkowice Śląskie, Poland | ||
| Height | 1.80 m | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | 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 | 15 | (2) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2009 | Poland U15 | 5 | (1) |
| 2009–2010 | Poland U16 | 6 | (0) |
| 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) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Piotr Sebastian Zieliński (born on May 20, 1994) is a Polish professional football player. He plays as a midfielder for the Serie A club Inter Milan and the Polish national team. Piotr is known for being a very flexible player. He is also great at passing, dribbling, and has a lot of energy. Many people think he is one of the best midfielders of his time.
Piotr started his professional club career in Italy with Udinese in 2012. Later, in 2014, he joined Empoli for a short time. In 2016, he moved to another Italian club, Napoli. At Napoli, he became a very important player. He helped the team win the Coppa Italia and their first Serie A title in 33 years. He played 364 official games for Napoli, making him one of their most loyal players from 2016 to 2024. In 2024, he joined Inter Milan.
Piotr has also played for the Polish national team many times since 2013. He has 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 consider him one of the greatest Polish footballers ever.
Contents
Piotr Zieliński's Club Journey
Starting Out in Football
Piotr Zieliński began his football journey at his local club, Orzeł Ząbkowice Śląskie. His father was his coach there. When he was 14, he joined Zagłębie Lubin. Big clubs like Bayer Leverkusen and Liverpool wanted him, and he even had trials with Feyenoord and Heerenveen.
He spent four years at the Zagłębie Lubin academy. He often played for the Poland national under-17 football team. By age 15, he was already training with the main team. At 17, he moved to Italy to join Udinese. They had seen him play in an international youth tournament.
Time at Udinese
In the 2011-2012 season, Piotr played in the Campionato Nazionale Primavera league. He scored two goals in twelve matches. He made his first appearance in Serie A on November 2, 2012. He came on as a substitute for Antonio Di Natale in a game against Cagliari. On April 14, 2013, he started his first game for Udinese. He also helped set up a goal in their 3–0 win over Parma.
Loan to Empoli
In 2014, Zieliński joined Empoli on loan. He played his first official game for Empoli on August 13, 2014. He came on as a substitute in a match against AS Roma. On December 3, 2014, he played his first Coppa Italia game, helping Empoli win 2–0 against Genoa. He finished his first loan season with 30 games played and 3 assists. In July 2015, he stayed with Empoli for another season.
He started the 2015–16 Serie A season as a regular player for Empoli. On September 13, 2015, he assisted a goal in a 2–2 draw against Napoli. On October 4, 2015, he helped set up the winning goal in Empoli's 1–0 victory over Sassuolo. He scored his first Serie A goal on October 24, 2015, with a header in a 2–0 win against Genoa. He scored again against AC Milan in January 2016 and against Sassuolo and Fiorentina later that season. Piotr played 37 matches for Empoli that season, scoring 5 goals and making 3 assists. After this, he started looking for a new club, and even talked with Liverpool.
Joining Napoli
2016–2017 Season
On August 4, 2016, Piotr Zieliński moved from Udinese to Napoli. He made his first appearance for Napoli on August 21, 2016. He came on as a substitute in a 2–2 draw against Pescara. On September 10, 2016, he started his first game for Napoli and assisted a goal in a 3–0 win against Palermo.
On September 13, 2016, Zieliński played his first Champions League game. Napoli won 2–1 against Dynamo Kyiv. He became the 57th Polish player to play in the Champions League for a foreign club. On January 7, 2017, he played his 100th Serie A match. He scored his first goal for Napoli on December 3, 2016, in a 3–0 win against Inter Milan. He finished his first season with six goals and six assists in 47 games.
2017–2018 Season
Piotr started the 2017–18 Serie A season as a regular player. He scored a goal in Napoli's 3–1 win over Atalanta on August 27, 2017. He also scored against Bologna and AC Milan later that year. On November 21, 2017, Zieliński scored his first Champions League goal against Shakhtar Donetsk. He scored another Champions League goal on December 6, 2017, against Feyenoord. He also scored in a Serie A match against Torino. On February 22, 2018, he scored his first UEFA Europa League goal against RB Leipzig. He played 36 Serie A matches that season, scoring 4 goals. Napoli finished second in the league.
2018–2019 Season
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In the first game of the 2018–19 Serie A season, Zieliński helped Napoli win 2–1 against Lazio. On August 25, 2018, he scored two goals in a tough game against AC Milan. Napoli came back from being 2–0 down to win. He scored again on December 8, 2018, in Napoli's 4–0 win over Frosinone. On February 14, 2019, he scored a goal in a UEFA Europa League match against FC Zürich. He also scored against Parma and Inter Milan that season.
2019–2020 Season
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On August 31, 2019, he assisted a goal in Napoli's 3–4 loss to Juventus. On December 7, 2019, he scored a goal to make it a 1–1 draw against Udinese. He scored the first goal in Napoli's 2–1 win against Juventus on January 26, 2020. He also assisted a goal in a Champions League match against Barcelona. On June 17, 2020, Zieliński won the Coppa Italia with Napoli. They beat Juventus in a penalty shootout. On August 31, 2020, he signed a new contract with Napoli until June 2023.
2020–2021 Season
Zieliński started the season playing the whole game against Parma, which Napoli won 2–0. On September 27, 2020, he scored a goal and assisted another in Napoli's big 6–0 win over Genoa. He later tested positive for COVID-19 and missed two matches. He returned to play on November 29, 2020, in a match against AS Roma.
On December 10, 2020, he scored a goal in a UEFA Europa League group stage match against Real Sociedad. On January 3, 2021, he scored two goals in a 4–1 win over Cagliari. He scored again on January 17, 2021, against Fiorentina. On March 3, 2021, he scored a goal in a 3–3 draw against Sassuolo. In the next game, he made two assists against Bologna. He also assisted a goal in Napoli's 1–0 win over AC Milan on March 14, 2021. Zieliński ended the season with 10 goals and 13 assists in 46 official matches.
2021–2022 Season
On August 21, 2021, he got a leg injury in a match against Venezia. This made him miss the next game. On September 23, 2021, he returned and scored his first goal of the 2021–22 Serie A season. This was in a 4–0 win over Sampdoria. He assisted goals in games against Cagliari and Fiorentina. On October 31, 2021, he scored the only goal in a derby match against Salernitana. This goal made him the second-best Polish goal-scorer in Serie A history. On February 17, 2022, he scored a goal in a Europa League match against Barcelona.
2022–2023 Season
On August 21, 2022, he made two assists in Napoli's 4–0 win over Monza. On October 4, 2022, he scored another Champions League goal against Ajax. Napoli won that game 6–1. On May 4, 2023, Zieliński and Napoli celebrated winning the club's first Serie A title in 33 years. This was a huge moment for the club. On December 24, 2023, he was named Polish Footballer of the Year. He beat Robert Lewandowski for the award.
Final Season with Napoli (2024)
On April 7, 2024, he scored a goal in a match against Monza, which Napoli won 4–2. On September 7, 2022, he scored two goals and assisted one in a Champions League game against Liverpool. Napoli won that game 4–1. At the end of June 2024, it was announced that Zieliński left Napoli. His contract had ended. During his time at Napoli, Zieliński played 364 matches, scoring 51 goals and making 46 assists.
Moving to Inter Milan
On July 3, 2024, Zieliński joined another Serie A club, Inter Milan. He moved there for free after his contract with Napoli ended. On October 27, 2024, Zieliński scored two goals for Inter Milan. Both were from penalty kicks in a big game against Juventus, which ended in a 4–4 draw. These were his first goals for Inter Milan. On November 26, 2024, he won the UEFA Man of the Match award. This was for his great performance in Inter Milan's 1–0 win over RB Leipzig in the Champions League. On December 23, 2024, Zieliński came on as a substitute and assisted a goal in Inter's 2–0 win against Como.
Piotr Zieliński's International Career
On June 4, 2013, Zieliński played his first game for the Polish national team. It was a friendly match against Liechtenstein. On July 31, 2013, he was called up for a friendly match against Denmark. He scored his first goal for Poland in that game, helping them win 3–2.
On March 27, 2018, he scored a goal in a friendly match against South Korea. Poland won 3–2. In May 2018, he was chosen for Poland's team for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. On September 7, 2018, he scored a goal against Italy in a UEFA Nations League match, which ended in a 1–1 draw. On June 10, 2019, he assisted a goal in a UEFA European Championship qualifying match against Israel. Poland won 4–0.
On March 5, 2021, he assisted a goal in a FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Hungary. The game ended in a 3–3 draw. On June 8, 2021, he scored a goal in a friendly match against Iceland. On June 23, 2021, he assisted Robert Lewandowski's goal in a UEFA Euro 2020 group stage match against Sweden. On November 26, 2022, he scored the first goal in Poland's 2–0 win over Saudi Arabia at the 2022 World Cup. On June 7, 2024, he scored a goal in a friendly match against Ukraine. He also assisted a goal in the 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.
How Piotr Zieliński Plays
Piotr Zieliński usually plays as a midfielder on the left side. He can also play on the right side if the team needs him to. His special skills include excellent control of the ball, very accurate passing, and being able to move well in small spaces. Another great thing about Zieliński is that he can shoot equally well with both his left and right feet. He worked very hard on this skill since he was a child.
He is a very consistent player and understands the game well. His important passes made him a key part of the Napoli team. He helped them win the Coppa Italia in 2020 and the Serie A title in 2023. Zieliński looks up to famous footballers like Zinedine Zidane and Marek Hamšík. When he was younger, he also admired Tomáš Rosický.
Piotr Zieliński's Life Outside Football
Piotr has two older brothers, Tomasz and Paweł, who are also footballers. On June 15, 2019, Zieliński married Laura Słowiak. They have a son named Maksymilian, who was born in 2021. In 2021, he passed an Italian language exam at a good level at the University of Naples.
On January 9, 2023, he received the Father Albert Medal. This award was for setting up and helping to pay for two children's homes in Poland. On October 6, 2023, Zieliński also officially became an Italian citizen. On December 27, 2023, he was made an honorary citizen of Giugliano in Campania, a town in Italy.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | Coppa Italia | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Udinese | 2012–13 | Serie A | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | |
| 2013–14 | Serie A | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | ||
| Total | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 20 | 0 | |||
| Empoli (loan) | 2014–15 | Serie A | 28 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 30 | 0 | ||
| 2015–16 | Serie A | 35 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 36 | 5 | |||
| Total | 63 | 5 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 66 | 5 | ||||
| Napoli | 2016–17 | Serie A | 36 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 0 | — | 47 | 6 | |
| 2017–18 | Serie A | 36 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 3 | — | 47 | 7 | ||
| 2018–19 | Serie A | 36 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 1 | — | 49 | 7 | ||
| 2019–20 | Serie A | 37 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 49 | 2 | ||
| 2020–21 | Serie A | 36 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 10 | |
| 2021–22 | Serie A | 35 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | — | 42 | 8 | ||
| 2022–23 | Serie A | 37 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 4 | — | 48 | 7 | ||
| 2023–24 | Serie A | 28 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 4 | |
| Total | 281 | 37 | 17 | 1 | 64 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 364 | 51 | ||
| Inter Milan | 2024–25 | Serie A | 15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 2 |
| Career total | 378 | 44 | 21 | 1 | 72 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 474 | 58 | ||
International
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| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poland | 2013 | 7 | 3 |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 12 | 3 | |
| 2019 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 10 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 12 | 3 | |
| 2023 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 13 | 4 | |
| Total | 99 | 14 | |
- Scores and results list Poland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Zieliński goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 August 2013 | Stadion Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland |  Denmark |
3–2 | 3–2 | Friendly |
| 2 | 10 September 2013 | San Marino Stadium, Serravalle, San Marino |  San Marino |
1–0 | 5–1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 3 | 4–1 | |||||
| 4 | 27 March 2018 | Stadion Śląski, Chorzów, Poland |  South Korea |
3–2 | 3–2 | Friendly |
| 5 | 8 June 2018 | Stadion Poznań, Poznań, Poland |  Chile |
2–0 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 6 | 7 September 2018 | Stadio Renato Dall'Ara, Bologna, Italy |  Italy |
1–0 | 1–1 | 2018–19 UEFA Nations League A |
| 7 | 8 June 2021 | Stadion Poznań, Poznań, Poland |  Iceland |
1–1 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 8 | 29 March 2022 | Stadion Śląski, Chorzów, Poland |  Sweden |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 9 | 11 June 2022 | De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands |  Netherlands |
2–0 | 2–2 | 2022–23 UEFA Nations League A |
| 10 | 26 November 2022 | Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar |  Saudi Arabia |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup |
| 11 | 21 March 2024 | Kazimierz Górski National Stadium, Warsaw, Poland |  Estonia |
2–0 | 5–1 | UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying |
| 12 | 7 June 2024 | Kazimierz Górski National Stadium, Warsaw, Poland |  Ukraine |
2–0 | 3–1 | Friendly |
| 13 | 12 October 2024 | Kazimierz Górski National Stadium, Warsaw, Poland |  Portugal |
1–2 | 1–3 | 2024–25 UEFA Nations League A |
| 14 | 15 October 2024 | Kazimierz Górski National Stadium, Warsaw, Poland |  Croatia |
1–0 | 3–3 | 2024–25 UEFA Nations League A |
Honours and Awards
Napoli
- Serie A: 2022–23
- Serie A runner-up: 2017–18, 2018–2019
- Coppa Italia: 2019–20
Poland U21
- Four Nations Tournament: 2014–15
Individual
- Polish Footballer of the Year: 2023
See also
In Spanish: Piotr Zieliński para niños
