HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Marcin Ryszard Wasilewski (born 9 June 1980) is a Polish
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
pundit A pundit is a person who offers opinion in an authoritative manner on a particular subject area (typically politics, the social sciences, technology or sport), usually through the mass media. The term pundit describes both women and men, altho ...
and former
player Player may refer to: Role or adjective * Player (game), a participant in a game or sport ** Gamer, a player in video and tabletop games ** Athlete, a player in sports ** Player character, a character in a video game or role playing game who i ...
who played as a
centre-back In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring. Defenders fall into four main categories: centre-backs, full-backs, sweepers ...
. He is best known for winning the Premier League with
Leicester City Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...
and getting injured after a challenge by
Axel Witsel Axel Laurent Angel Lambert Witsel (born 12 January 1989) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder or centre-back for club Atlético Madrid and the Belgium national team. He originally also played in more offensiv ...
during a match in 2009.


Career


Early career

Wasilewski was born in
Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
, Poland, and started his senior career at local club
Hutnik Kraków Hutnik Kraków (Polish pronunciation: ) is a Polish football club based in Kraków, Poland. History The club was founded in 1950. Hutnik have played seven seasons in the Polish top-flight. The team's greatest success is a third place in the 1 ...
before playing for
Śląsk Wrocław Wrocławski Klub Sportowy Śląsk Wrocław Spółka Akcyjna, commonly known as WKS Śląsk Wrocław (), is a Polish professional Association football, football club based in Wrocław that plays in , the second level of the Polish football leagu ...
and
Wisła Płock Wisła Płock Spółka Akcyjna (Wisła Płock S.A.), commonly referred to as Wisła Płock (), is a Polish professional football club based in Płock, Masovian Voivodeship. They will compete in the Ekstraklasa in the 2025–26 season after wi ...
. He moved to
Amica Wronki Amica Wronki was a Polish football club based in Wronki, Poland. The club was invariably linked to Amica, a manufacturer of white goods, predominantly stoves, which gave the club its nickname. The company's increasing profits gave the new te ...
in 2005; the club merged with
Lech Poznań Kolejowy Klub Sportowy Lech Poznań S.A., commonly referred to as KKS Lech Poznań or simply Lech Poznań (), is a Polish professional football club based in Poznań and currently competing in the Ekstraklasa, the nation's highest division. ...
the following year.


Anderlecht

He was acquired by Belgian side
Anderlecht Anderlecht (; ) is one of the List of municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the south-western part of the region, it is bordered by the City of Brussels, Forest, B ...
in January 2007. During the 2008–09 season he was the club's third-most prolific goalscorer, tying with Guillaume Gillet at eight goals.


Leg injury

On 30 August 2009, Wasilewski suffered an open leg fracture in the 26th minute of the 1–1 Jupiler League draw between Anderlecht and
Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège ( ; ; ) or simply Standard in Belgium, is a Belgian professional football club based in the city of Liège. They are one of the most successful clubs in Belgium, having won t ...
when Liège's
Axel Witsel Axel Laurent Angel Lambert Witsel (born 12 January 1989) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder or centre-back for club Atlético Madrid and the Belgium national team. He originally also played in more offensiv ...
made a challenge. Witsel was red-carded for the offence. Wasilewski underwent corrective surgery for open fractures to both the tibia and fibula. Witsel was suspended for eight games by the Belgian FA over the incident, after an appeal.


Return

After a long rehabilitation, Wasilewski made his return on 8 May 2010. He celebrated his return to Anderlecht's first eleven with the opening goal of his side's 2–1 win at
S.V. Zulte Waregem Sportvereniging Zulte Waregem (), commonly known as Zulte Waregem or by their nickname Essevee (), is a Belgian professional association football, football club based in Waregem, West Flanders. The club set to play in Belgian Pro League from 2025� ...
. His drive to return was rewarded with a new contract until the summer of 2013, with the club describing him as "a club monument, who had to deliver an inhuman battle". Wasilewski and Witsel, then of
Zenit St. Petersburg Football Club Zenit (, ), also known as Zenit Saint Petersburg or simply Zenit, is a Russian professional association football, football club based in Saint Petersburg. Founded in 1925 (or in 1914, according to some Russian sources), the club p ...
, met again on the field on 24 October 2012 in a UEFA Champions League group match. Wasilewski announced in advance that he would refuse to shake hands with Witsel before the game, with Anderlecht management accepting his decision. However, he ultimately changed his mind and accepted Witsel's hand, saying that he did not want to "turn the atmosphere of the match into a personal duel".


Leicester City

On 14 September 2013, Wasilewski was reported to be undergoing a trial with
Leicester City Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...
in the English
Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this sys ...
, in the hope of landing a contract. On 17 September he was confirmed as having signed for the Foxes on a one-year contract. He made his debut in a League Cup third-round match against
Derby County Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club in Derby, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system. One of the 12 founder members of the English Football ...
on 24 September, playing the entire match as Leicester won 2–1. On 30 November 2013, a coachload of Anderlecht fans travelled to Leicester's
King Power Stadium King Power Stadium is a football stadium in the city of Leicester, East Midlands, England, and the home of Leicester City. The stadium opened in 2002 as the Walkers Stadium and has a capacity of 32,259. The club attracted worldwide attenti ...
to support Wasilewski at his new club. There were emotional scenes after he played a key role in City's 3–0 win over
Millwall Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Poplar, north of Greenwich and Deptford, east of ...
. Wasilewski established himself as a first-team regular as Leicester finished the season as Championship champions and secured their return to the Premier League. On 22 May 2014, he extended his contract by a further year. Wasilewski made his
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
debut on 1 November 2014, in the 0–1 defeat against
West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion Football Club (), commonly known as West Brom or The Albion, is a professional association football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the Englis ...
, during which he appeared to elbow opposing striker
Saido Berahino Saido Berahino (born 4 August 1993) is a Burundian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), striker for NK Tabor Sežana, Tabor Sežana and Captain (association football), captains the Burundi ...
; however,
the FA The Football Association (the FA) is the governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest football association in the world and is responsibl ...
cleared the defender. On 31 January 2015, Wasilewski scored his first goal in English football, heading in a late consolation goal in Leicester's 3–1 defeat by
Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
which was also the second goal ever scored in the Premier League by a Polish footballer;
Robert Warzycha Robert Warzycha (; born 20 August 1963) is a Polish former professional football manager and player. A right winger, Warzycha had a long career in Europe, playing for teams in Poland, Hungary and England with Everton in the Premier League. He ...
had scored in the competition's opening weekend, years earlier. On 4 June, Wasilewski announced via his Instagram account that he had signed a new one-year contract with Leicester City. He made his first league appearance of the
2015–16 Premier League The 2015–16 Premier League (known as the Barclays Premier League for sponsorship reasons) was the 24th season of the Premier League, the top English professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1992, and the ...
season on 19 December 2015 when he started in a 3–2 win over Everton. Wasilewski played only two league games before Leicester's Premier League trophy presentation on 7 May 2016, making him ineligible for a winner's medal (a minimum of five league games is required). Nonetheless, owing to teammate
Robert Huth Robert Huth (, ; born 18 August 1984) is a German former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. He is a three-time Premier League winner and has made the most Premier League appearances (322) by a German player. Huth was signed f ...
's suspension, Wasilewski played the final two matches of the Premier League season, taking his appearances up to four. On 14 June 2016, Wasilewski signed a one-year extension to his contract. Wasilewski's first senior appearance in 2016–17 ended in his dismissal in the 89th minute for elbowing
Diego Costa Diego da Silva Costa (, ; born 7 October 1988) is a professional Association football, footballer who most recently played as a Striker (association football), striker for Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Grêmio FBPA, Grêmio. Costa be ...
in a 2–4
EFL Cup The English Football League Cup, often referred to as the League Cup and currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout competition in men's domestic football in England. Orga ...
third-round defeat to Chelsea on 20 September 2016.


International

Wasilewski made his debut in a friendly match against
Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
in
Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
on 20 November 2002. Wasilewski was also part of the Poland squads for
Euro 2008 The 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2008 or simply Euro 2008, was the 13th UEFA European Championship, a quadrennial football tournament contested by the member nations of UEFA (the Union of European ...
and
Euro 2012 The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2012 or simply Euro 2012, was the 14th European Championship for men's national football teams organised by UEFA. The final tournament, held between 8 June and 1 ...
.


Career statistics


Club


International

:Source: :''Scores and results list Poland's goal tally first''


Honours

Anderlecht *
Belgian Pro League The Belgian Pro League (; ; ), officially the Jupiler Pro League () for sponsor Jupiler, is a professional association football league in Belgium and the highest level of the Belgian football league system. Contested by 16 clubs from the 2023 ...
: 2006–07, 2009–10, 2011–12,
2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
*
Belgian Cup The Belgian Cup (; ; ) is the main knockout football competition in Belgium, run by the Royal Belgian FA. The competition started in 1908 with provincial selections as the "Belgian Provinces Cup". Starting from 1912 only actual clubs were allowed ...
: 2007–08 *
Belgian Super Cup The Belgian Super Cup ( ; ; ), ''Pro League Supercup'', is a Belgian club competition played as a single match between the Belgian Pro League champions (also received the Super Cup host) and the Belgian Cup winners. If both teams are the same, ...
:
2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
,
2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
,
2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
,
2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
Leicester City *
Football League Championship The English Football League Championship, known simply as the Championship and for sponsorship purposes as Sky Betting & Gaming, Sky Bet Championship, is a professional association football league in England and Wales. Contested by 24 clubs, i ...
: 2013–14


References


External links

* *
National team stats
on the website of the
Polish Football Association The Polish Football Association ( PZPN) is the governing body of association football in Poland. It organizes the Polish football leagues (without the ), the national cups, and manages the men's and women's national teams. It also runs the nati ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wasilewski, Marcin 1980 births Living people Footballers from Kraków Men's association football defenders Polish men's footballers Poland men's international footballers Hutnik Kraków players Śląsk Wrocław players Wisła Płock players Amica Wronki players Lech Poznań players R.S.C. Anderlecht players Leicester City F.C. players Wisła Kraków players Ekstraklasa players I liga players Belgian Pro League players English Football League players Premier League players UEFA Euro 2008 players UEFA Euro 2012 players Polish expatriate men's footballers Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium Polish expatriate sportspeople in Belgium Expatriate men's footballers in England Polish expatriate sportspeople in England 21st-century Polish sportsmen