Robert Lewandowski
Encyclopedia
Robert Lewandowski is a Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

 footballer who plays for German Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...

 club Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...

 as a striker, having previously played for Delta Warszawa, Legia Warsaw, Znicz Pruszków
Znicz Pruszków
Miejski Klub Sportowy Znicz Pruszków is a football club based in Pruszków, Poland.Znicz Pruszków achieved its best performance in the Polish First League with fifth place finishes in the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons.-Current squad:As of February 2009....

 and Lech Poznań
Lech Poznan
Lech Poznań is a Polish football club based in Poznań, Poland. The club is named after Lech, the legendary founder of Polish nation.The club was established in 1922 as Lutnia Dębiec, later changing its name several times. From 1933 until 1994, the club was closely linked to Polish State Railways...

. He has been capped
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...

 by Poland
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...

 at international level.

Early career

In 2006–07, Lewandowski was the Polish third division
Polish Second League
II Liga is a Polish football league that sits at the 3rd tier of the Polish football league system. Until the end of the 2007–08 season II Liga referred to a league at the 2nd tier, although this changed with the formation of the Ekstraklasa as the top level league in Poland...

's top goal scorer with 15 goals, helping Znicz Pruszków
Znicz Pruszków
Miejski Klub Sportowy Znicz Pruszków is a football club based in Pruszków, Poland.Znicz Pruszków achieved its best performance in the Polish First League with fifth place finishes in the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons.-Current squad:As of February 2009....

 win promotion. The next season he was the top scorer in the Polish second division
Polish First League
I Liga is the second level of the Polish association football league, below the Ekstraklasa and above the II Liga. Run by the Polish Football Association since its inception in 1948, all teams from 2002 onwards must have professional status and a licence, issued by the Association...

 with 21 goals.

Lech Poznań

In June 2008, Lech Poznań
Lech Poznan
Lech Poznań is a Polish football club based in Poznań, Poland. The club is named after Lech, the legendary founder of Polish nation.The club was established in 1922 as Lutnia Dębiec, later changing its name several times. From 1933 until 1994, the club was closely linked to Polish State Railways...

 signed Lewandowski from Znicz for 1.5 million zlotys.

He made his debut for Lech in July 2008 as a sub in a first round UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...

 qualifier versus Khazar Lenkoran
FK Khazar Lenkoran
FK Khazar Lankaran is an Azerbaijani football club based in Lankaran, who play in the Azerbaijan Premier League. Khazar Lankaran have won the League title only once, and the Azerbaijan Cup three times....

 from Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...

. In that match he scored the only goal of the match. During his Ekstraklasa debut in the first game of the season in a match against GKS Bełchatów he scored a heel flick goal just four minutes after coming into the game late second half. In his first season in the Polish top division, he was second in the goal-scoring charts. The next season, he became top scorer with 18 goals and helped his team win the 2009–10 championship
2009–10 Ekstraklasa
The 2009–10 Ekstraklasa was the 76th season since its establishment as the highest football league of Poland. It began on 31 July 2009 and ended on 15 May 2010...

.

Borussia Dortmund

In 2010, rumors emerged linking Lewandowski with various clubs, particularly Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...

, Genoa C.F.C.
Genoa C.F.C.
Genoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to simply as Genoa , is a professional Italian football club based in the city of Genoa, Liguria...

, and Blackburn Rovers. On 5 May Borussia Dortmund's general manager Michael Zorc
Michael Zorc
Michael Zorc is a retired German footballer who played as a central midfielder.Nicknamed "Susi" in his early days because of his long hair, he spent his entire career with Borussia Dortmund, appearing in nearly 600 official games in 17 seasons...

 stated that Lewandowski had agreed verbally to join the Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...

 club. However, negotiations between the clubs went on for several weeks. On May 19, it was reported that he had undergone medical exams at Borussia and on 11 June 2010, he signed a four-year contract with the German club in a transfer thought to be worth around
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...

4.5 million. On 19 September he scored his first goal in the Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...

 to make it 3–0 in the Revierderby
Revierderby
The region of Ruhr is home to the famous derby in German football between Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04.-Overview:...

 against Schalke 04, the game ended 3–1.

International career

Lewandowski made three appearances for Poland's U21 team
Poland national under-21 football team
The Poland national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Poland and is controlled by the Polish Football Association....

, in friendly matches against England, Belarus and Finland.

His debut for the senior national team came on 10 September 2008, three weeks after his 20th birthday, against San Marino
San Marino national football team
The San Marino national football team is the national football team of San Marino, controlled by the San Marino Football Federation...

 where he came on as a sub and scored one goal. Only Włodzimierz Lubański, who is widely considered a "legend
UEFA Jubilee Awards
To celebrate the Union of European Football Associations 's 50th anniversary in 2004, each of its member associations was asked by UEFA to choose one of its own players as the single most outstanding player of the past 50 years . The 52 players were known as the Golden Players...

", scored a goal on his debut for the national team at a younger than Lewandowski, having been 16 at the time.

International goals

Goal Date Venue Opponent Goal Final Result Competition
1. 10 September 2008 Serravalle, San Marino
San Marino
San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino , is a state situated on the Italian Peninsula on the eastern side of the Apennine Mountains. It is an enclave surrounded by Italy. Its size is just over with an estimated population of over 30,000. Its capital is the City of San Marino...

 
0 – 2 Win 0–2 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of...

2. 19 November 2008 Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

 
1 – 3 Win 2–3 Friendly
3. 1 April 2009 Kielce
Kielce
Kielce ) is a city in central Poland with 204,891 inhabitants . It is also the capital city of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship since 1999, previously in Kielce Voivodeship...

, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

 
4 – 0 Win 10–0 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of...

4. 23 January 2010 Nakhon Ratchasima
Nakhon Ratchasima
Nakhon Ratchasima or is a city in the north-east of Thailand and gateway to Isan. It is the capital of the Nakhon Ratchasima Province and Nakhon Ratchasima district...

, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

 
1 – 0 Win 6–1 2010 King's Cup
2010 King's Cup
The 40th King's Cup finals was held in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand from 17 January until 23 January. The King's Cup is an international football competition held in Thailand. This edition featured four teams and reverted back to a round robin group stage....

5. 23 January 2010 Nakhon Ratchasima
Nakhon Ratchasima
Nakhon Ratchasima or is a city in the north-east of Thailand and gateway to Isan. It is the capital of the Nakhon Ratchasima Province and Nakhon Ratchasima district...

, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

 
2 – 0 Win 6–1 2010 King's Cup
2010 King's Cup
The 40th King's Cup finals was held in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand from 17 January until 23 January. The King's Cup is an international football competition held in Thailand. This edition featured four teams and reverted back to a round robin group stage....

6. 3 March 2010 Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...

, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

 
2 – 0 Win 2–0 Friendly
7. 7 September 2010 Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...

, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

 
1 – 1 Loss 1–2 Friendly
8. 17 November 2010 Poznań
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...

, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

 
1 – 0 Win 3–1 Friendly
9. 17 November 2010 Poznań
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...

, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

 
3 – 1 Win 3–1 Friendly
10. 9 February 2011 Faro
Faro, Portugal
Faro is the southernmost city in Portugal. It is located in the Faro Municipality in southern Portugal. The city proper has 41,934 inhabitants and the entire municipality has 58,305. It is the seat of the Faro District and capital of the Algarve region...

, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

 
1 – 0 Win 1–0 Friendly
11. 6 September 2011 Gdańsk
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...

, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

 
1 – 0 Draw 2–2 Friendly
12. 7 October 2011 Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...

, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

 
1 – 0 Draw 2–2 Friendly
13. 11 October 2011 Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 
2 – 0 Win 2–0 Friendly

Statistics

(correct as of 30 October 2011)

Club Season League Domestic League Domestic Cups European Cups Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Delta Warszawa 2004-05 III Liga
Polish Third League
III Liga is a Polish football league that sits at the 4th tier of the Polish football league system. Until the end of the 2007–08 season III Liga referred to a league at the 3rd tier, although this changed with the formation of the Ekstraklasa as the top level league in Poland...

? 4 0 0 ? 4
Legia II Warszawa 2005-06 II Liga
Polish Second League
II Liga is a Polish football league that sits at the 3rd tier of the Polish football league system. Until the end of the 2007–08 season II Liga referred to a league at the 2nd tier, although this changed with the formation of the Ekstraklasa as the top level league in Poland...

? 2 0 0 ? 2
Znicz Pruszków
Znicz Pruszków
Miejski Klub Sportowy Znicz Pruszków is a football club based in Pruszków, Poland.Znicz Pruszków achieved its best performance in the Polish First League with fifth place finishes in the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons.-Current squad:As of February 2009....

2006-07 II Liga
Polish Second League
II Liga is a Polish football league that sits at the 3rd tier of the Polish football league system. Until the end of the 2007–08 season II Liga referred to a league at the 2nd tier, although this changed with the formation of the Ekstraklasa as the top level league in Poland...

? 15 2 1 ? 16
2007-08
Poland II Liga 2007-08
The 2007–08 Polish Second League started in August 2007 and ended in May 2008. It is run by the Polish Football Association.-Teams:9 teams staying in the second league:*Kmita Zabierzów*Lechia Gdańsk*ŁKS Łomża*Odra Opole*Piast Gliwice...

I Liga
Polish First League
I Liga is the second level of the Polish association football league, below the Ekstraklasa and above the II Liga. Run by the Polish Football Association since its inception in 1948, all teams from 2002 onwards must have professional status and a licence, issued by the Association...

32 21 2 0 34 21
Total ? 36 4 1 - - ? 37
Lech Poznań
Lech Poznan
Lech Poznań is a Polish football club based in Poznań, Poland. The club is named after Lech, the legendary founder of Polish nation.The club was established in 1922 as Lutnia Dębiec, later changing its name several times. From 1933 until 1994, the club was closely linked to Polish State Railways...

2008–09 Ekstraklasa 30 14 6 2 12 4 48 20
2009–10 28 18 2 1 4 2 34 21
Total 58 32 8 3 16 6 82 41
Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...

2010–11
2010–11 Fußball-Bundesliga
The 2010–11 Fußball-Bundesliga was the 48th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season started on the weekend of 21 August 2010 with the traditional season opening match involving the defending champions and ended with the last games on 14 May 2011. The winter...

Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...

33 8 2 0 8 1 43 9
2011–12
2011–12 Fußball-Bundesliga
The 2011–12 Fußball-Bundesliga is the 49th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season started on 5 August 2011 with the season opening match involving defending champions Borussia Dortmund and will end with the last games on 5 May 2012...

14 9 2 3 5 1 21 13
Total 47 17 4 3 13 2 64 22

(correct as of 30 October 2011)

Poland
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...

Year Friendlies Qualifiers Competition Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
2008 1 1 3 1
4 2
2009 6 0 6 1
12 1
2010 13 6
13 6
2011 9 4
9 4
Total - 29 11 9 2 - - 38 13

Club

Znicz Pruszków
  • II Liga
    Polish Second League
    II Liga is a Polish football league that sits at the 3rd tier of the Polish football league system. Until the end of the 2007–08 season II Liga referred to a league at the 2nd tier, although this changed with the formation of the Ekstraklasa as the top level league in Poland...

    : 1
2006–07


Lech Poznań
  • Polish Cup
    Polish Cup
    The Polish Cup in football or officially Remes Puchar Polski, is an elimination tournament for Polish football clubs, held continuously from 1950, and is the second most important national title in Polish football after the Ekstraklasa title...

    : 1
2008–09
  • Polish SuperCup
    Polish SuperCup
    The Polish SuperCup in football is an annually held match between the champion of the Ekstraklasa and the Polish Cup winner. To this date the Polish SuperCup has been played out 21 times with the Polish Cup winner taking the trophy 13 times, while the Ekstraklasa champions had won the trophy 8 times...

    : 1
2009
2009–10
2009–10 Ekstraklasa
The 2009–10 Ekstraklasa was the 76th season since its establishment as the highest football league of Poland. It began on 31 July 2009 and ended on 15 May 2010...



Borussia Dortmund
  • Bundesliga
    Fußball-Bundesliga
    The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...

    : 1
2010–11
2010–11 Fußball-Bundesliga
The 2010–11 Fußball-Bundesliga was the 48th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season started on the weekend of 21 August 2010 with the traditional season opening match involving the defending champions and ended with the last games on 14 May 2011. The winter...


Individual

  • II Liga
    Polish Second League
    II Liga is a Polish football league that sits at the 3rd tier of the Polish football league system. Until the end of the 2007–08 season II Liga referred to a league at the 2nd tier, although this changed with the formation of the Ekstraklasa as the top level league in Poland...

     top scorer:
    2006–07 (15 goals)
  • I Liga
    Polish First League
    I Liga is the second level of the Polish association football league, below the Ekstraklasa and above the II Liga. Run by the Polish Football Association since its inception in 1948, all teams from 2002 onwards must have professional status and a licence, issued by the Association...

     top scorer:
    2007–08 (21 goals)
  • Ekstraklasa top scorer: 2009–10 (18 goals)
  • Polish revelation of the year: 2008

Personal life

Lewandowski's father, Krzysztof, was a Polish judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...

 champion, and also played football for Hutnik Warszawa
Hutnik Warszawa
Hutnik Warszawa, is a Polish professional football club based in the Bielany district of Warsaw, Poland. It was founded on April 21, 1957 as Hutniczy Klub Sportowy and renamed Bielański Klub Sportowy in 2001...

 in the second division. His mother, Iwona, is a former volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...

 player for AZS Warszawa
AZS Politechnika Warszawa
AZS Politechnika Warszawska is a Polish volleyball team, based in Warsaw, playing in Polish Volleyball League .-See also:* Volleyball in Poland* Sports in Poland...

 and later vice-president of Partyzant Leszno. His sister, Milena, also plays volleyball and has represented the U21 national team. His girlfriend, Anna Stachurska, won the bronze medal at the 2009 Karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...

 World Cup.

External links

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