Tomasz Frankowski facts for kids
Frankowski in 2010
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 16 August 1974 | ||
| Place of birth | Białystok, Poland | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1991–1993 | Jagiellonia Białystok | 12 | (1) |
| 1993–1996 | Strasbourg | 21 | (2) |
| 1996 | Nagoya Grampus Eight | 0 | (0) |
| 1996–1997 | Poitiers | 32 | (22) |
| 1997–1998 | Martigues | 19 | (5) |
| 1998–2005 | Wisła Kraków | 173 | (115) |
| 2005–2006 | Elche | 14 | (8) |
| 2006–2007 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 16 | (0) |
| 2006–2007 | → Tenerife (loan) | 19 | (3) |
| 2008 | Chicago Fire | 17 | (2) |
| 2009–2013 | Jagiellonia Białystok | 120 | (52) |
| Total | 450 | (211) | |
| National team | |||
| 1999–2006 | Poland | 22 | (10) |
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Tomasz Frankowski (born August 16, 1974) is a famous Polish former professional football player. He was a striker, which means he played at the front of the team and scored goals.
He is one of the best goal scorers in the history of the Polish football league, called Ekstraklasa. He scored 168 goals in 302 matches, making him the third highest scorer ever! Tomasz was also the top goal scorer in the league four times.
He had his biggest successes playing for Wisła Kraków in Poland. He helped them win many important titles. Tomasz also played football in other countries like France, Japan, Spain, England, and the United States.
He played 22 times for the Polish national team and scored 10 goals for his country. After he stopped playing football, he became a politician and was elected to the European Parliament in 2019.
Contents
Club Career
Early Days and Wisła Kraków
Tomasz Frankowski started his football journey in his hometown of Białystok in 1991, playing for Jagiellonia Białystok. After that, he moved to France and played for RC Strasbourg from 1993 to 1996. He also had a short time playing in Japan for Nagoya Grampus Eight in 1996.
He then returned to France to play for CFP Poitiers (1996–1997) and FC Martigues (1997–1998). But his most successful time was when he came back to Poland to play for Wisła Kraków.
At Wisła Kraków, Tomasz achieved amazing things. He helped the club win the Polish Championship five times (in 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, and 2005). They also won the Polish Cup twice (in 2002 and 2003) and the Polish SuperCup in 2001. Tomasz was the top scorer in the league three times while playing for Wisła (1999, 2001, and 2005). He also became top scorer with Jagiellonia in 2011.
Playing in Other Countries
In August 2005, Tomasz moved to Spain to play for Elche CF, a team in the Segunda División (Spain's second league). He played 14 games and scored 8 goals for Elche. In one game, he even scored three goals, which is called a hat-trick!
On January 25, 2006, Tomasz signed a contract with Wolverhampton Wanderers in England. This team played in the Football League Championship, which is the second-highest league in England. He was a big signing for them.
However, he didn't score any goals for Wolves. So, in August 2006, he was loaned back to Spain to play for Tenerife for a season. He scored three goals in 18 games there. When he returned to Wolves, his contract was ended by agreement in August 2007.
After a break from playing, Tomasz moved to the United States to join the Chicago Fire team. He signed with them on February 19, 2008. He scored his only two goals for the club in their first home game against the New England Revolution. However, his playing time decreased, and he was released from the team in November 2008.
Back Home at Jagiellonia
On December 23, 2008, Tomasz Frankowski returned to his first club, Jagiellonia Białystok, signing a two-year contract. He continued to score many goals. On March 28, 2010, he scored two goals, which made him the 9th all-time top scorer in the Ekstraklasa league.
On August 1, 2010, Tomasz won his second Polish Supercup with Jagiellonia. He scored the only goal in their win against Lech Poznań. In the 2010–11 season, he was the top scorer for the fourth time in his career, with 14 goals. He kept scoring goals and, on April 6, 2013, he became the third all-time top scorer in the Ekstraklasa, with 168 goals. He retired from playing football after the 2012–13 season.
Playing for Poland
Tomasz Frankowski played for the Polish national team 22 times and scored 10 goals for his country. His first game for Poland was on April 28, 1999, in a 2–1 win against the Czech Republic. He scored his first goal for Poland the next year against Iceland.
He was the top scorer for Poland during their qualifying games for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. However, because he wasn't playing his best for Wolves in 2006, he was not chosen for the World Cup team. He was disappointed with the manager's decision. After this, he returned to the national team under a new coach, but only played two more games.
Awards and Trophies
Strasbourg
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1995
Wisła Kraków
- Ekstraklasa: 1998–99, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05
- Polish Cup: 2001–02, 2002–03
- Polish League Cup: 2000–01
- Polish Super Cup: 2001
Jagiellonia Białystok
- Polish Cup: 2009–10
- Polish Super Cup: 2010
Individual
- Ekstraklasa top scorer: 1998–99, 2000–01, 2004–05, 2010–11
- Polish Cup top scorer: 2001–02, 2009–10
- Polish Newcomer of the Year: 1998
- Ekstraklasa Player of the Year: 2004
- Ekstraklasa Player of the Month: October 2010
Life After Football: Politics
After his successful football career, Tomasz Frankowski decided to get involved in politics. He is a member of a political group called Civic Platform, led by Donald Tusk.
In 2019, he was elected to the European Parliament. This is a very important group of people who make decisions for countries in Europe. Tomasz was elected from the area of Podlaskie and Warmian-Masurian in Poland.
In 2021, he spoke out against some big changes proposed in football, like the idea of a European Super League and holding the World Cup every two years. This shows he still cares deeply about the sport.
See also
In Spanish: Tomasz Frankowski para niños
