Robert Lewandowski

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
This article's lead section may not adequately summarize key points of its contents. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article. (April 2013)
Robert Lewandowski
Robert Lewandowski 2010.jpg
Lewandowski in 2010
Personal information
Full name Robert Lewandowski
Date of birth (1988-08-21) 21 August 1988 (age 24)
Place of birth Warsaw, Poland
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position Striker
Club information
Current club Borussia Dortmund
Number 9
Youth career
1997–2004 Varsovia Warsaw
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2005 Delta Warsaw ? (4)
2005–2006 Legia Warsaw II ? (2)
2006–2008 Znicz Pruszków ? (36)
2008–2010 Lech Poznań 58 (32)
2010– Borussia Dortmund 98 (54)
National team‡
2008 Poland U21 3 (0)
2008– Poland 53 (17)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18 May 2013.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 26 March 2013

Robert Lewandowski (Polish pronunciation: [ˈrɔbɛrt lɛvanˈdɔfskʲi]; (born 21 August 1988) is a Polish footballer who plays for German Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund and the Poland national football team as a striker. Having previously played for Delta Warsaw, Legia Warsaw, Znicz Pruszków and Lech Poznań, he joined Dortmund in 2010.

Contents

Club career [edit]

Early career [edit]

Lewandowski started his career at Varsovia Warsaw, where as a teen he played for seven years.[1] The following year he moved to Delta Warsaw where he finally managed to play in a first team scoring four goals.[2]

In 2006–07, Lewandowski was the Polish third division's top goal scorer with 15 goals, helping Znicz Pruszków win promotion.[3] The next season he was the top scorer in the Polish second division with 21 goals.[3]

Lech Poznań [edit]

In June 2008, Lech Poznań signed Lewandowski from Znicz for 1.5 million zlotys.[1][4]

He made his debut for Lech in July 2008 as a sub in a first round UEFA Cup qualifier versus Khazar Lenkoran from Azerbaijan. 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 the top scorer with 18 goals and helped his team win the 2009–10 championship.

Borussia Dortmund [edit]

Following press speculation that Lewandowski might move to one of a number of clubs[5][6] he joined Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund in June 2010, signing a four-year contract with the German club[7] for a fee reported to be worth around €4.5 million.[8] On 19 September, he scored his first goal in the Bundesliga to make it 3–0 in the Revierderby against Schalke 04; the game ended 3–1.[9]

2011–12 [edit]

Lewandowski celebrates winning the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double with Borussia Dortmund in 2012

In the 2011–12 Bundesliga campaign, Lewandowski profited from an injury of Lucas Barrios and he was elevated to an ever-present position in the starting XI until the winter break. The striker responded by finding the net two times in Dortmund's 3–0 DFB-Pokal first round victory over SV Sandhausen.[10] Lewandowski opened his league account in a 2–0 win over 1. FC Nuremberg on 20 August 2011 by providing the finishing touch from a Mario Götze cross.[11] On 1 October, Lewandowski provided an assist and netted a hat-trick in the club's 4–0 victory over FC Augsburg,[12] following a disappointing 3–0 loss to Olympique de Marseille in the Champions League group stage.[13] Dortmund climbed into second place in the Bundesliga with a comfortable 5–0 victory over 1. FC Köln on 22 October, with Lewandowski finding the net either side of half-time.[14] Dortmund travelled to SC Freiburg on 17 December and Lewandowski struck twice and provided an assist for Kevin Großkreutz, as Dortmund eased to a 4–1 triumph.[15] Due to his strong performance, he was named Best Player of the Year in Poland.[16]

Following the winter break, on 22 January 2012, Dortmund thrashed Hamburger SV 5–1 to move level on points with leaders Bayern Munich; Lewandowski netted twice and added an assist for Jakub Błaszczykowski in the rout.[17] He scored the only goal of the game in a 1–0 home win over Bayern Munich on 11 April.[18] The result gave Dortmund a six point cushion over their title rivals with only four games left to play.[19] On 21 April, Lewandowski provided the assist for Shinji Kagawa's 59th minute goal as Dortmund won 2–0 over Borussia Mönchengladbach to seal their second straight title.[20] In the final Bundesliga game of the campaign, Lewandowski scored two first-half goals as Dortmund beat Freiburg 4–0 and celebrated lifting the title.[21]

Lewandowski finished the year as the third top goal scorer with 22 goals, none from the penalty spot, and six assists.[22]

In the final game of the season for Dortmund, he scored a hat-trick in the DFB-Pokal Final, a 5–2 win over Bayern Munich, to earn the club its first league and cup double.[23][24] Lewandowski finished as the DFB-Pokal's top goalscorer, with seven goals from six games.[25]

2012–13 [edit]

Lewandowski made his first appearance of the Bundesliga campaign in Dortmund's 2–1 victory over Werder Bremen on the opening day of the season.[26] He netted his first goal in the 3–0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen on 15 September 2012, extending Dortmund's run to 31 games unbeaten and moved the club into third in the Bundesliga.[27] He set club's new record of the longest scoring streak, having scored in 12 consecutive league games, surpassing Friedhelm Konietzka record from 1964–65 season.[28] He finished season with 24 league goals, one goal short to Bundesliga's topscorer Stefan Kießling, hovewer Lewandowski missed three games, including two due to red card suspension.

In the club's first Champions League game of the season, Lewandowski netted an emphatic 87th-minute winner to defeat Ajax by a score of 1–0.[29] On 24 April 2013, Lewandowski became the first player to score four goals in a Champions League semifinal as Dortmund beat Spanish champions Real Madrid 4–1 in the first leg at the Signal Iduna Park.[30]

According to Dortmund director Michael Zorc, speaking in February 2013, Lewandowski will not be renewing his contract with the club, and will leave either in the summer of 2013 or after the 2013–14 season.[31]

International career [edit]

Lewandowski (right) playing for Poland.

Lewandowski made three appearances for Poland's U21 team, 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 where he came on as a sub and scored one goal.[32][33] Only Włodzimierz Lubański, who is widely considered a "legend", scored a goal on his debut for the national team at a younger age than Lewandowski, having been 16 at the time.

Playing in Warsaw in the opening match of the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament against Greece, Lewandowski scored the first goal of the competition and was named Man of the Match.[34] He played in all three games for Poland in the tournament, as the co-hosts crashed out of the group stage with two points earned.[35][36]

Career statistics [edit]

(correct as of 18 May 2013)
Club Season League League Domestic Cup Europe Other1 Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Delta Warszawa 2004–05 III Liga ? 4 0 0 – – ? 4
Legia II Warszawa 2005–06 II Liga ? 2 0 0 – – ? 2
Znicz Pruszków 2006–07 II Liga ? 15 2 1 – – ? 16
2007–08 I Liga 32 21 2 0 – – 34 21
Total  ? 42 4 1 – – – –  ? 43
Lech Poznań 2008–09 Ekstraklasa 30 14 6 2 12 4 – 48 20
2009–10 28 18 1 0 4 2 1 1 34 21
Total 58 32 7 2 16 6 1 1 82 41
Borussia Dortmund 2010–11 Bundesliga 33 8 2 0 8 1 – 43 9
2011–12 34 22 7 7 6 1 1 0 48 30
2012–13 31 24 4 1 12 10 1 1 48 36
Total 98 54 13 8 26 12 2 1 139 75

1 Including Polish SuperCup, DFL-Supercup.

(correct as of 26 March 2013)
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 11 4 - - - - 11 4
2012 4 1 3 0 3 1 10 2
2013 1 0 2 2 - - 3 2
Total 36 12 14 4 3 1 53 17

International goals [edit]

Scores and results list Poland's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 10 September 2008 Stadio Olimpico, Serravalle  San Marino 2–0 2–0 2010 World Cup qualifier
2. 19 November 2008 Croke Park, Dublin  Republic of Ireland 3–1 3–2 Friendly
3. 1 April 2009 Arena Kielc, Kielce  San Marino 4–0 10–0 2010 World Cup qualifier
4. 23 January 2010 80th Birthday Anniversary Stadium, Nakhon Ratchasima  Singapore 1–0 6–1 2010 King's Cup
5. 2–0
6. 3 March 2010 Stadion Polonii Warszawa, Warsaw  Bulgaria 2–0 2–0 Friendly
7. 7 September 2010 Stadion Miejski in Kraków, Kraków  Australia 1–1 1–2 Friendly
8. 17 November 2010 Stadion Miejski, Poznań  Ivory Coast 1–0 3–1 Friendly
9. 3–1
10. 9 February 2011 Estádio Algarve, Faro  Norway 1–0 1–0 Friendly
11. 6 September 2011 PGE Arena Gdańsk, Gdańsk  Germany 1–0 2–2 Friendly
12. 7 October 2011 Seoul World Cup Stadium, Seoul  South Korea 1–0 2–2 Friendly
13. 11 October 2011 BRITA-Arena, Wiesbaden  Belarus 2–0 2–0 Friendly
14. 2 June 2012 Pepsi Arena Stadium, Warsaw  Andorra 2–0 4–0 Friendly
15. 8 June 2012 National Stadium, Warsaw  Greece 1–0 1–1 Euro 2012
16. 26 March 2013 National Stadium, Warsaw  San Marino 1–0 5-0 2014 World Cup qualification
17. 3–0

Honours [edit]

Club [edit]

Lewandowski 2009–10 Ekstraklasa top scorer for Lech Poznań (18 goals).
Znicz Pruszków
Lech Poznań
Borussia Dortmund

Individual [edit]

Personal life [edit]

Lewandowski's father, Krzysztof (died in 1995),[1] was a Polish judo champion, and also played football for Hutnik Warszawa in the second division.[37] His mother, Iwona, is a former volleyball player for AZS Warszawa and later vice-president of Partyzant Leszno.[1][37] His sister, Milena, also plays volleyball and has represented the U21 national team.[37] His fiancee, Anna Stachurska, won the bronze medal at the 2009 Karate World Cup.[37] They are engaged to marry in 2013 in Warsaw.[38] Lewandowski is a devout Catholic Christian, and has said that he is proud of his faith.[39][40]

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Ceglinski, Lukasz (11 September 2008). "Bajka o Robercie Lewandowskim". Gazeta Wyborcza (in Polish). Retrieved 1 May 2012. 
  2. ^ Kuna, Tomasz. ".: liga polska" (in Polish). 90minut.pl. Retrieved 19 November 2012. 
  3. ^ a b Lesniowski, Piotr (26 May 2008). ""Kolejorz" walczy o króla". Gazeta Wyborcza (in Polish). 
  4. ^ "Robert Lewandowski piłkarzem Kolejorza". Lech Poznań (in Polish). 18 June 2008. 
  5. ^ Adamoli, Gessi (14 April 2010). "Accordo con Lewandowska è arrivato il bomber polacco". la Repubblica (in Italian). Retrieved 19 May 2010. 
  6. ^ "Blackburn target Lewandowski cancels trip to UK". ESPNsoccernet. 17 April 2010. Retrieved 19 May 2010. 
  7. ^ "Dortmund macht Lewandowski-Transfer perfekt". focus.de (in German). 11 June 2010. Retrieved 11 June 2010. 
  8. ^ "Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski hits double as Poland beat Ivory Coast (video)". imscouting.com. 18 November 2010. Retrieved 1 May 2012. 
  9. ^ "Schalke 04 1-3 Borussia Dortmund". ESPNFC. 19 September 2010. 
  10. ^ 2011–12 DFB-Pokal
  11. ^ "Borussia Dortmund 2 – 0 Nurnberg". ESPN Soccernet. 20 August 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2012. 
  12. ^ "Borussia Dortmund 4–0 Augsburg: Lewandowski Hat-Trick Seals Emphatic Victory For Defending Champions". Goal.com. 1 October 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2012. 
  13. ^ "Borussia Dortmund 4 – 0 FC Augsburg". ESPN Soccernet. 1 October 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2012. 
  14. ^ "Borussia Dortmund 5–0 Koln: Five-star champions move second in Bundesliga table". Goal.com. 22 October 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2012. 
  15. ^ "Report: SC Freiburg 1 – 4 Borussia Dortmund". ESPN Soccernet. 17 December 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2012. 
  16. ^ "Lewandowski ist Polens Bester" (in German). Kicker. 12 December 2011. Retrieved 10 November 2012. 
  17. ^ "Report: Hamburg SV 1 – 5 Borussia Dortmund". ESPN Soccernet. 22 January 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2012. 
  18. ^ "Borussia Dortmund see off Bayern Munich to close on successive title". The Guardian. 11 April 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2012. 
  19. ^ "Borussia Dortmund 1 – 0 Bayern Munich". ESPN Soccernet. 11 April 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2012. 
  20. ^ "Borussia Dortmund 2–0 Borussia Monchengladbach: Perisic and Kagawa trigger celebrations as Jurgen Klopp's men retain Bundesliga crown". Goal.com. 21 April 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2012. 
  21. ^ "Borussia Dortmund 4 – 0 SC Freiburg". Sky Sports. 5 May 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2012. 
  22. ^ "Goals & Assists". bundesliga.de. Retrieved 12 May 2012. 
  23. ^ "Dortmund complete double". Sky Sports. 12 May 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2012. 
  24. ^ "Borussia Dortmund rout Bayern Munich to claim double". ESPN Soccernet. 12 May 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2012. 
  25. ^ "DFB-Pokal – Torjäger" (in German). kicker.de. Retrieved 17 May 2012. 
  26. ^ "Borussia Dortmund 2–1 Werder Bremen". ESPNFC. 24 August 2012. Retrieved 24 November 2012. 
  27. ^ "Dortmund 3–0 Leverkusen". ESPNFC. 15 September 2012. Retrieved 24 November 2012. 
  28. ^ "BVB-Torjäger Lewandowski überholt Konietzka" (in German). ruhrnachrichten.de. 17 March 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2013. 
  29. ^ James, Andy (18 September 2012). "Dortmund leave it late to defeat Ajax". UEFA. Retrieved 25 April 2013. 
  30. ^ James, Andy (24 April 2013). "Four-goal Lewandowski leaves Madrid reeling". UEFA. Retrieved 25 April 2013. 
  31. ^ "Borussia Dortmund say Robert Lewandowski will not sign new contract". Sky Sports. 28 February 2013. Retrieved 6 March 2013. 
  32. ^ "San Marino - Poland 0:2 (0:1)". FIFA. 10 September 2008. 
  33. ^ "San Marino-Poland 0:2. A Torture For Fans.". World Cup Blog. 11 September 2008. 
  34. ^ "Greece fightback foils Poland". UEFA. 8 June 2012. 
  35. ^ "Czechs through as Poland check out". UEFA. 16 June 2012. 
  36. ^ "Over and out for Poland". UEFA. 17 June 2012. 
  37. ^ a b c d Schuth, Joachim; Weiler, Jörg (7 July 2010). "Ricken und Sammer sind meine Idole". Bild (in German). Retrieved 13 July 2010. 
  38. ^ Weiler, Jörg (2 April 2012). "Kabinen-Zoff mit Barrios – Hochzeit mit Anna" [Trouble with Barrios—wedding to Anna] (in German). BILD. Retrieved 17 May 2012. 
  39. ^ Kowalski, Radosław (6 June 2012). "Robert Lewandowski: Jestem katolikiem i nie wstydzę się tego" [Robert Lewandowski: "I'm Catholic and not ashamed of it"]. Wiadomosci24.pl (in Polish). 
  40. ^ Orliński, Bartosz (8 June 2012). "Lewandowski i Błaszczykowski: nie wstydzę się Jezusa!" [Lewandowski and Błaszczykowski: We're not ashamed of Jesus"]. Wiara.wm.pl (in Polish). 

External links [edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Robert Lewandowski
Poland squad – UEFA Euro 2012
Poland
Borussia Dortmund – current squad
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_Lewandowski&oldid=555693553"