Szczęsny, Lewandowski, Zieliński: Who are Poland's top UEFA Champions League performers?
Sunday, December 4, 2022
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Which Polish players have the most appearances and goals in Europe's leading club competition?
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With sensational spells at Dortmund and Bayern, Robert Lewandowski established himself as one of the greatest strikers of the 21st century. Polish clubs have not enjoyed as much success in UEFA's club competitions, but the nation's best players have thrived abroad, Zbigniew Boniek notably winning the European Cup with Juventus in 1985.
Most appearances by Polish players in the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League (including qualifying)
111: Robert Lewandowski (Dortmund, Bayern, Barcelona)
75: Wojciech Szczęsny (Arsenal, Roma, Juventus)
54: Łukasz Piszczek (Dortmund)
53: Jerzy Dudek (Feyenoord, Liverpool, Real Madrid)
42: Józef Wandzik (Górnik Zabrze, Panathinaikos)
42: Krzysztof Warzycha (Ruch Chorzów, Panathinaikos)
41: Michał Żewlakow (Anderlecht, Olympiacos)
37: Piotr Zieliński (Napoli)
36: Artur Boruc (Legia Warszawa, Celtic)
33: Mariusz Lewandowski (Shakhtar Donetsk)
Top-scoring Polish players in the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League (including qualifying)
91: Robert Lewandowski (Dortmund, Bayern, Barcelona)
15: Włodzimierz Lubański (Górnik Zabrze)
13: Krysztof Warzycha (Ruch Chorzów, Panathinaikos)
11: Arkadiusz Milik (Ajax, Napoli)
11: Ernest Pohl (Legia Warszawa, Górnik Zabrze)
9: Maciej Żurawski (Wisła Kraków, Celtic)
8: Jacek Dembiński (Lech Poznań, Widzew Łódź)
8: Emmanuel Olisadebe (Polonia Warszawa, Panathinaikos)
7: Tomasz Frankowski (Wisła Kraków)
7: Michał Kucharczyk (Legia Warszawa)
7: Zygfryd Szołtysik (Górnik Zabrze)
7: Mirosław Trzeciak (Lech Poznań, Maccabi Tel-Aviv, ŁKS Łódź)
Most appearances by Polish players in UEFA club competition*
138: Robert Lewandowski (Lech Poznań, Dortmund, Bayern, Barcelona)
91: Łukasz Piszczek (Zagłębie Lubin, Hertha Berlin, Dortmund)
81: Wojciech Szczęsny (Arsenal, Roma, Juventus)
81: Jakub Rzeźniczak (Legia Warszawa, Qarabağ)
75: Tomasz Kędziora (Lech Poznań, Dynamo Kyiv)
73: Michał Żewlakow (Polonia Warszawa, Anderlecht, Olympiacos, Legia Warszawa)
71: Jacek Bąk (Lech Poznań, Lyon, Lens, Austria Wien)
70: Jerzy Dudek (Feyenoord, Liverpool, Real Madrid)
70: Artur Jędrzejczyk (Legia Warszawa, Krasnodar)
68: Michał Kucharczyk (Legia Warszawa)
Top-scoring Polish players in UEFA club competition*
99: Robert Lewandowski (Lech Poznań, Dortmund, Bayern, Barcelona)
30: Włodzimierz Lubański (Górnik Zabrze, Lokeren)
27: Maciej Żurawski (Lech Poznań, Wisła Kraków, Celtic, Omonoia)
26: Arkadiusz Milik (Leverkusen, Ajax, Napoli, Marseille, Juventus)
26: Krysztof Warzycha (Ruch Chorzów, Panathinaikos)
22: Tomasz Frankowski (Strasbourg, Wisła Kraków, Jagiellonia Białystok)
15: Michał Kucharczyk (Legia Warszawa)
15: Marcin Kuźba (Auxerre, Lausanne, Wisła Kraków)
14: Jan Furtok (Katowice, Hamburg, Frankfurt)
14: Emmanuel Olisadebe (Polonia Warszawa, Panathinaikos)
First Polish player to win the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League
Zbigniew Boniek (Juventus 1-0 Liverpool, 1984/85)
First Polish player to appear in a UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League final win
Andrzej Buncol (Leverkusen 3-3agg Espanyol, aet, Leverkusen win 3-2 on pens, 1987/88)
Only Polish team to appear in a European final
Manchester City 2-1 Górnik Zabrze (European Cup Winners' Cup, 1969/70)
An honourable mention for goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak, who appeared on the team sheet for Manchester United in three UEFA Champions League finals (2008, 2009 and 2011) but never made it off the bench.
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*UEFA club competitions means European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League, Europa Conference League, European/South American Cup, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Super Cup and UEFA Intertoto Cup