Wojciech Kowalewski

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Wojciech Kowalewski

| image = Wojciech Kowalewski.jpg

| image_size = 270

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1977|5|11}}

| birth_place = Białystok, Poland

| height = {{height|m=1.89}}

| position = Goalkeeper

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| years1 = 1995–1997 | clubs1 = Wigry Suwałki| caps1 = 21| goals1 = 0

| years2 = 1997–2000 | clubs2 = Legia Warsaw| caps2 = 1| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2001 | clubs3 = Dyskobolia Grodzisk| caps3 = 15| goals3 = 0

| years4 = 2001 | clubs4 = Legia Warsaw| caps4 = 16| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2002–2003 | clubs5 = Shakhtar Donetsk| caps5 = 19| goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2003 | clubs6 = → Spartak Moscow (loan) | caps6 = 10| goals6 = 0

| years7 = 2003–2007 | clubs7 = Spartak Moscow| caps7 = 84| goals7 = 0

| years8 = 2007–2008 | clubs8 = Korona Kielce| caps8 = 10| goals8 = 0

| years9 = 2008–2010 | clubs9 = Iraklis Thessaloniki| caps9 = 39| goals9 = 0

| years10 = 2010 | clubs10 = Sibir Novosibirsk| caps10 = 14| goals10 = 0

| years11 = 2011 | clubs11 = Anorthosis Famagusta| caps11 = 1| goals11 = 0

| totalcaps = 230 | totalgoals =0

| nationalyears1 = 2002–2009| nationalteam1 = Poland| nationalcaps1 = 11| nationalgoals1 = 0

| medaltemplates =

| club-update =

| nationalteam-update =

}}

Wojciech Kowalewski ({{IPA|pol|ˈvɔjt͡ɕɛx kɔvaˈlɛfskʲi}}; born 11 May 1977) is a Polish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.{{cite web |url=http://sport.onet.pl/pilka-nozna/wojciech-kowalewski-zakonczyl-kariere,1,5045058,wiadomosc.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304171511/http://sport.onet.pl/pilka-nozna/wojciech-kowalewski-zakonczyl-kariere,1,5045058,wiadomosc.html |archive-date=4 March 2012 |title=Wojciech Kowalewski zakończył karierę – Onet Sport}}

Club career

Kowalewski made his top-flight debut with Wigry Suwałki during the 1996–97 season, but it was not until 2001–02, after a loan spell with second division side Dyskobolia Grodzisk, that he finally established himself with Legia. Midway through the season he moved to FC Shakhtar Donetsk and only conceded once in nine league games as Shakhtar stormed to the Ukrainian title for the first time.

After initially moving to Spartak Moscow on loan in June 2003, Kowalewski signed a five-year contract with Spartak on 7 November 2003.{{cite web |title=Kowalewski staying with Spartak |url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/025a-0eaad0c45a12-54d0524538eb-1000--kowalewski-staying-with-spartak/?referrer=%2Fuefaeuropaleague%2Fnews%2Fnewsid%3D125346 |publisher=UEFA |accessdate=19 April 2020 |date=7 November 2003}} In late 2007, having lost his place to Stipe Pletikosa, he requested to leave the club. In December 2007 Spartak agreed to terminate his contract. He had not played for Spartak in over a year.

On 17 January 2008 it was announced that Kowalewski had started a trial period with Premier League club Reading.{{cite news | date=17 January 2008 | url=http://www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10306~1217736,00.html | title=Polish international joins on trial | work=readingfc.co.uk | accessdate=17 January 2008}} On 3 February 2008, Kowalewski signed a three-year deal with Polish club Korona Kielce.{{cite news | date=3 February 2008 | url=http://www.korona-kielce.pl/gol.php?&page=wiadomosc&nr=9018&l=l | title=Kowalewski w Koronie | publisher=Korona Kielce | accessdate=3 February 2008 | language=Polish |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080204092728/http://www.korona-kielce.pl/gol.php?&page=wiadomosc&nr=9018&l=l |archivedate = 4 February 2008}}

Kowalewski has a reputation of being an excellent penalty-saver, once breaking FC Torpedo Moskva's Vladimir Leonchenko's streak of 13 successful spot-kicks. On 17 January 2010 Iraklis Thessaloniki F.C. released experienced Polish goalkeeper. The player was tracked by Legia Warsaw,{{Cite web |url=http://www.sports.pl/Pilka-nozna/Szczesny-lub-Kowalewski-czyli-dwie-opcje-za-Muche-,artykul,66757,1,721.html |title=Dwie opcje za Muchę: Szczęsny czy Kowalewski? |access-date=19 January 2010 |archive-date=17 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717191429/http://www.sports.pl/Pilka-nozna/Szczesny-lub-Kowalewski-czyli-dwie-opcje-za-Muche-,artykul,66757,1,721.html |url-status=dead }} but joined the Russian Premier League newcomers Sibir Novosibirsk instead.{{cite news | date=8 February 2010 | url=http://www.fc-sibir.ru/news/id.15406 | title=Witamy, Wojciech!| publisher=FC Sibir| accessdate=7 March 2010 | language=Russian}}

International career

Kowalewski made his Poland debut in February 2002, but made only a handful of appearances before being recalled to the side at the start of Euro 2008 qualifying. He was replaced by Artur Boruc after picking up a second yellow against Portugal on 11 October 2006. Poland won that game 2–1.

Kowalewski replaced Tomasz Kuszczak in Poland's Euro 2008 squad following the Manchester United goalkeeper's back injury.{{cite news

|date=6 June 2008

|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/06/06/sports/EU-SPT-SOC-Euro-2008-Poland-Kuszczak.php

|title= Poland keeper Kuszczak out of European Championship

|work=International Herald Tribune

|accessdate=4 July 2007}} He had to re-use the UEFA ID card of his team-mate Mariusz Lewandowski to enter the stadium in Klagenfurt for the match against Germany as he did not obtain an accreditation pass due to an oversight by the Polish delegation.{{cite news | date=14 June 2008| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/international/2303216/Euro-2008-Frustrated-Poles-turn-on-each-other.html| title=Frustrated Poles turn on each other | work=The Daily Telegraph| location=London | first=Kaz | last=Mochlinski}}

In September 2009, he was recalled to the squad for the World Cup qualifiers against the Czech Republic and Slovakia by coach Stefan Majewski. He was the starter against the Czechs as Poland slipped to a 2–0 defeat on 10 October 2009 which killed off any lingering hopes of qualifying for the tournament finals.

=International statistics=

National team	Year	Apps	Conceded Goals !Clean Sheets
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+ Appearances, conceded goals and clean sheets by national team
rowspan="8" style="vertical-align:center;"\|Poland \|2002	3	0	3
2003	0	0	0
2004	1	0	1
2005	2	3	0
2006	3	2	1
2007	1	0	1
2008	0	0	0
2009	1	2	0
colspan="2"\|Total	11	7	6

Honours

Shakhtar Donetsk{{cite web |title=Wojciech Kowalewski |url=http://www.90minut.pl/kariera.php?id=962 |website=90minut.pl |access-date=10 May 2024 |language=pl}}

References

External links

{{90minut|962}}
[http://www.pzpn.pl/index.php/pol/Reprezentacje/Reprezentacje-meskie/Reprezentacja-A/Kadra?zawodnik=57993 National team stats] on the website of the Polish Football Association {{in lang|pl}}
{{FFU}}

Category:1977 births

Category:Living people

Category:Footballers from Białystok

Category:Men's association football goalkeepers

Category:Polish men's footballers

Category:Poland men's international footballers

Category:Wigry Suwałki players

Category:Legia Warsaw players

Category:Dyskobolia Grodzisk Wielkopolski players

Category:FC Shakhtar Donetsk players

Category:FC Spartak Moscow players

Category:Korona Kielce players