Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 16 April 2004 | ||
Place of birth | Warsaw, Poland | ||
Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[1] | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Brøndby | ||
Number | 20 | ||
Youth career | |||
2010–2018 | Ząbkovia Ząbki | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2018–2021 | Ząbkovia Ząbki | ||
2021–2022 | ŁKS Łódź II | 15 | (1) |
2022–2023 | ŁKS Łódź | 38 | (7) |
2023– | Brøndby | 1 | (0) |
International career‡ | |||
2022 | Poland U18 | 2 | (0) |
2022–2023 | Poland U19 | 6 | (1) |
2023– | Poland U20 | 2 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:58, 21 October 2023 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 13:15, 24 October 2023 (UTC) |
Mateusz Kowalczyk (born 16 April 2004) is a Polish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Danish Superliga club Brøndby.
Born in Warsaw and raised in nearby Marki, Kowalczyk began his football journey at the age of six with Ząbkovia Ząbki.[2] Displaying remarkable maturity at a young age, he took his first steps in senior football at the age of 14 with Ząbkovia.[2] His talent quickly attracted the interest of several Polish clubs.[3] Ultimately, in 2021, he chose to sign with ŁKS Łódź. The club's second team competed in the fourth tier, providing Kowalczyk with an opportunity to develop against senior opposition at a higher level.[3] He made his second-team debut on 7 August 2021, starting in a 4–3 victory against Ursus Warsaw.[4]
Kowalczyk made his professional debut for the ŁKS first team on 26 February 2022, coming on as a substitute for Jakub Tosik in the 65th minute during a 1–1 away draw against GKS Jastrzębie in the second-tier I liga.[5] On 8 April 2021, he scored his first professional goal, securing a late winner in the 95th minute of a 3–2 home win over Sandecja Nowy Sącz.[6]
During the 2022–23 season, Kowalczyk played a significant role in ŁKS' promotion to the top-tier Ekstraklasa, scoring six goals in 26 appearances for the Knights of Spring—including a decisive goal that secured the league title on 26 May 2023, against Arka Gdynia.[1][7]
On 2 August 2023, Kowalczyk signed a four-year contract with Danish Superliga club Brøndby, with the club paying a reported fee of €1.2 million to secure his services.[8][9] He made his debut for the club on 27 September, replacing Nicolai Vallys in the 68th minute of a 3–0 victory in the Danish Cup over HIK.[10] Four days later, he made his Superliga debut, again coming on as a late substitute for Vallys in a victory against Hvidovre.[11]
Kowalczyk has represented Poland at under-18 level.[12] In August 2022, he was called up to by Poland U-19's coach Marcin Brosz for training camp in Reda ahead of the 2023 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualifiers against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Estonia and Italy.[13] He scored on his debut for the under-19s, contributing to Poland's 2–0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on 21 September 2022.[14] On 28 August 2023, Kowalczyk received his first call-up for the Poland U-20, and he subsequently gained his first cap for the team on 8 September during a 4–0 home win over Portugal in the Under 20 Elite League.[15][16]
Kowalczyk, a hard-working central midfielder, displayed remarkable maturity on the pitch early on, making his senior football debut at the young age of 14.[3] He describes himself as a player capable of controlling the game's pace, comfortable both in attacking and defensive roles. Despite his average height (1.81 m), he possesses excellent heading abilities.[17] Often referred to as a 'piranha' in midfield, he excels in dispossessing opponents and is adept at playing a Gegenpressing style.[18]
Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Other | Total | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
ŁKS Łódź II | 2021–22 | III liga | 15 | 1 | — | — | 15 | 1 | ||
ŁKS Łódź | 2021–22 | I liga | 12 | 1 | — | — | 12 | 1 | ||
2022–23 | I liga | 26 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | 27 | 6 | ||
Total | 38 | 7 | 1 | 0 | — | 39 | 7 | |||
Brøndby | 2023–24 | Danish Superliga | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Career total | 54 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 56 | 8 |
ŁKS Łódź