Michał Ryszard Żewłakow (Polish pronunciation: [ˈmixaw ʐɛvˈwakɔf]; born 22 April 1976) is a Polish football pundit, co-commentator and former professional player who played as a defender. He captained the Poland national team and is its third most capped player ever. Besides Poland, he has played in Belgium, Greece,[2] and Turkey.

Michał Żewłakow
Żewłakow with Legia Warsaw in 2011
Personal information
Full name Michał Ryszard Żewłakow[1]
Date of birth (1976-04-22) 22 April 1976 (age 48)
Place of birth Warsaw, Poland
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Centre-back, full-back
Youth career
1987–1988 Drukarz Warsaw
1988–1990 Marymont Warsaw
1990–1995 Polonia Warsaw
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1993–1995 Polonia Warsaw 11 (0)
1995–1996 Hutnik Warsaw
1996–1998 Polonia Warsaw 89 (6)
1998–1999 Beveren 24 (1)
1999–2002 Mouscron 91 (4)
2002–2006 Anderlecht 94 (3)
2006–2010 Olympiacos 87 (3)
2010–2011 Ankaragücü 19 (1)
2011–2013 Legia Warsaw 44 (0)
Total 459 (18)
International career
1999–2011 Poland 102 (3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

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Early career in Poland

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Born in Warsaw in April 1976, Żewłakow spent eight years with Polonia Warsaw and broke into the first team in the 1996–97 season.

Belgium

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Żewłakow was loaned to Belgium's KSK Beveren in October 1998 before signing – together with his twin brother Marcin – for Mouscron for a combined fee of €485,000. Żewłakow went on to become a key player, helping the club reach the 2002 Belgian Cup final.

Anderlecht

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After following coach Hugo Broos to Anderlecht, in his second season he made his UEFA Champions League debut as Anderlecht wrested back the Belgian title from Club Brugge. The next season, he lost his place but regained for the 2005–06 campaign as Anderlecht won the league again.

Olympiacos

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In the summer 2006, Żewłakow moved to Olympiacos on a free transfer.[3]

Ankaragücü

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At the end of the 2009–10 season, after reportedly receiving a low contract offer from Olympiacos, Żewłakow decided not to renew his contract. On 16 June 2010, Turkish club Ankaragücü signed him on a free transfer.[4]

Legia Warsaw

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In June 2011, Żewłakow joined Polish club Legia Warsaw on a one-year contract.[5]

International career

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The Poland national team's first-choice left-back during qualifying for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Żewłakow was the only player to appear in all ten of his country's qualifying matches. He played in two games at the 2002 World Cup and was a regular in qualifying for UEFA EURO 2004 and the 2006 World Cup, where he again appeared three times in the finals in Germany.

Personal life

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Michał Żewłakow has a twin brother, Marcin, who played as a striker. They became the first twins ever to play together for Poland when they were picked in the starting lineup to face France in February 2000 and were teammates at the 2002 World Cup.

Career statistics

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International

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Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Poland 1999 1 0
2000 10 0
2001 10 1
2002 9 0
2003 6 0
2004 8 0
2005 8 0
2006 11 0
2007 11 1
2008 10 1
2009 9 0
2010 8 0
2011 1 0
Total 102 3
Scores and results list Poland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Żewłakow goal.
List of international goals scored by Michał Żewłakow
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 28 March 2001 Warsaw, Poland   Armenia 1–0 4–0 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
2 7 February 2007 Jerez de la Frontera, Spain   Slovakia 1–2 2–2 Friendly
3 6 September 2008 Wrocław, Poland   Slovenia 1–0 1–1 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

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Anderlecht

Olympiacos

Legia Warsaw

Individual

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Michal Ryczard Zewlakow" (in Turkish). Turkish Football Federation. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  2. ^ Żewłakow: W Grecji uciekałem przed kibicami sport.fakt.pl
  3. ^ Michał Żewłakow w Olympiakosie 1 February 2006, interia.pl
  4. ^ Doppio colpo per l’Ankaragücü
  5. ^ Michał Żewłakow podpisał kontrakt z Legią Warszawa 13 June 2011, onet.pl
  6. ^ "Laureaci". pilkanozna.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 21 June 2024.
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