Artur Wichniarek
Artur Wichniarek (Polish pronunciation: [ˈartur vixˈɲarɛk], born 28 February 1977) is a Polish former professional footballer who played as a striker.
![]() Wichniarek in 2009 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 28 February 1977 | ||
Place of birth | Poznań, Poland | ||
Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[1] | ||
Position(s) | Striker | ||
Youth career | |||
1988–1992 | SKS 13 Poznań | ||
Lech Poznań | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1992–1997 | Lech Poznań | 65 | (4) |
1996 | → Górnik Konin (loan) | ||
1997–1999 | Widzew Łódź | 57 | (28) |
1999–2003 | Arminia Bielefeld | 101 | (50) |
2003–2006 | Hertha BSC | 44 | (4) |
2006–2009 | Arminia Bielefeld | 111 | (33) |
2009–2010 | Hertha BSC | 19 | (0) |
2010 | Lech Poznań | 7 | (0) |
Total | 404 | (119) | |
National team | |||
1999–2008 | Poland | 17 | (4) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only |
Career
Early career in Poland
Wichniarek started his professional career at Lech Poznań in 1992–93 season. The following season, he made his Ekstraklasa debut, however, he was not able to secure a place in the starting eleven. In the spring of 1996 was loaned to Polish Second League club Górnik Konin. Upon his return to his home club he managed to win the manager's confidence and in the following 1996–97 season he played 30 times, albeit scoring only four goals. In 1998, Wichniarek joined Widzew Łódź, where he played until 1999, appearing 57 times and scoring 28 goals all together, most of them in the 1998–99 season.
Arminia Bielefeld
His talent drew the attention of Arminia Bielefeld's directors, who brought him to Bielefeld, where he impressed the fans, becoming the club's leading player and best striker. In 2001–02 season he won the title of 2. Bundesliga top scorer, which earned him the nickname King Arthur.[2]
Hertha BSC
Hertha BSC took notice and in 2003 he moved to Olympiastadion, however, he usually appeared only as a sub. After two seasons in Berlin, in the beginning of 2006, with 44 appearances and four goals on his sheet, he moved back to Arminia Bielefeld.[3]
Return to Bielefeld
He became one of Arminia's dominant players, scoring 33 goals in three seasons.[4] Wichniarek was named the Bundesliga's Footballer of the Month in August 2008.[5]
Second stint at Hertha
On 3 July 2009, Wichniarek left the newly relegated Arminia Bielefeld and returned to former club Hertha BSC signing a two-year contract. After the relegation of Hertha BSC, Wichniarek was released from his contract on 15 June 2010.
Return to Lech Poznań
He signed a one-year contract with first club Lech Poznań on 30 June 2010.[6] His contract was terminated by Lech Poznań on 3 November 2010.
International career
Wichniarek made his first appearance for the Polish national team on 3 March 1999. The fixture was against Armenia where the Poles won 1–0. Wichniarek was not among the manager's favorites and his occasional appearances were usually limited to friendlies. His first international goal was at the expense of the Czech Republic national team on 28 April 1999. All together, he appeared in 17 international matches and four of his shots found their way into the opponents' net.[7] His last significant cap was against Estonia in Tallinn, where he scored one of the two goals for the winners.[8]
International goals
- Scores and results list Poland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Wichniarek goal.[9]
No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | 28 April 1999 | Polish Army Stadium, Warsaw, Poland | ![]() | International friendly | ||
2. | 9 June 1999 | Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg | ![]() | UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying | ||
3. | 6 June 2003 | Municipal Stadium, Poznań, Poland | ![]() | International friendly | ||
4. | 20 August 2003 | A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn, Estonia | ![]() | International friendly |
External links
- Artur Wichniarek at fussballdaten.de (in German)
- Artur Wichniarek at WorldFootball.net
- Artur Wichniarek at National-Football-Teams.com
References
- "Artur Wichniarek (18)". Hertha BSC. Archived from the original on 22 April 2009. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
- "König Artur köpft Herthas Traum kaputt". Bild (in German). 6 February 2009. Archived from the original on 8 February 2009. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
- "Artur Wichniarek" (in Polish). 90minut.pl. Archived from the original on 12 December 2009. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
- Arnhold, Matthias (27 March 2015). "Artur Wichniarek - Matches and Goals in Bundesliga". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
- "Artur auf dem Thron!" (in German). arminia-bielefeld.de. 4 September 2008. Archived from the original on 13 September 2008. Retrieved 5 September 2008.
- "Transferowy hit Lecha" (in Polish). onet.pl. 30 June 2010. Archived from the original on 3 July 2010. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
- Arnhold, Matthias (27 March 2015). "Artur Wichniarek - International Appearances". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
- "National team profile" (in Polish). PZPN.pl. Archived from the original on 15 March 2009.
- "Artur Wichniarek". National Football Teams. Retrieved 23 November 2020.