Maciej Żurawski

3.1. Warta Poznań

Żurawski began his professional career with Warta Poznań. After progressing through their youth academy, he made his senior debut in the Ekstraklasa on 31 July 1994, at the young age of 17, facing Widzew Łódź. Despite his debut, the season concluded with Warta Poznań being relegated from the top flight. He would continue to play for the club for several years, making 59 appearances and scoring 5 goals before moving on.

3.2. Lech Poznań

In November 1997, Żurawski moved to Lech Poznań on a six-month loan agreement. This initial loan period was later extended, and he eventually made a permanent transfer to the club. He scored his first Ekstraklasa goal for Lech on 29 March 1998, in a match against Górnik Zabrze. In his final appearance for Lech Poznań, on 26 September 1999, he notably scored two goals against his future club, Wisła Kraków. Upon his departure from Lech, Żurawski expressed his affection for the club's supporters by distributing autographed cards with the dedication: "Remember Żuraw, the boy who left his heart in Poznań." During his time at Lech, he made 56 league appearances and scored 19 goals.

3.3. Wisła Kraków

Żurawski made his debut for Wisła Kraków in the Ekstraklasa on 2 November 1999, in a match against ŁKS Łódź. His first goal for the club in the Ekstraklasa came on 4 March 2000, in a game against Odra Wodzisław.

During his first impactful tenure with Wisła Kraków, Żurawski achieved significant success:

• He won his first Ekstraklasa championship with the club in the 2000-01 season.
• In the 2001-02 season, he became the Ekstraklasa top goalscorer, netting 21 goals in 27 matches.
• The 2002-03 season saw him perform exceptionally well in the UEFA Cup, where he scored 10 goals in 10 matches, including 7 goals against prominent European clubs such as Parma, FC Schalke 04, and Lazio.
• Following the departure of Kamil Kosowski, Żurawski was chosen as the new captain of Wisła Kraków.
• He led Wisła Kraków to another Ekstraklasa title in the 2003-04 season, scoring 20 goals in 26 matches and once again finishing as the league's top goalscorer.
• In the 2004-05 season, he secured his fourth Ekstraklasa title with Wisła Kraków, contributing 24 goals in 25 league appearances.

Overall, in this period, he made 153 league appearances and scored 101 goals.

3.4. Celtic

In July 2005, Żurawski transferred from Wisła Kraków to the Scottish Premier League side Celtic, signing a three-year contract. He took over the iconic number 7 shirt, previously worn by players like Juninho Paulista and Henrik Larsson, and quickly became a fan favorite, earning the nickname "Magic Żurawski" from the supporters.

His time at Celtic was marked by several notable performances:

• On 19 February 2006, Żurawski scored four goals in a commanding 8-1 victory over Dunfermline Athletic at East End Park, a result that set a new SPL record for Celtic. His performance earned him the SPL Player of the Month award for February.
• He concluded the 2005-06 season as Celtic's joint top scorer, alongside John Hartson, with 20 goals each.
• For the 2006-07 season, Celtic strengthened their attack by signing Kenny Miller and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink. Żurawski successfully formed effective strike partnerships with both new players. He had a strong start to the season, scoring 10 goals by January 2007, but an injury sidelined him for the remainder of the season, preventing him from adding further goals.
• Before the start of the 2007-08 season, Celtic acquired Chris Killen and Scott McDonald. Żurawski started Celtic's opening day match against Kilmarnock at Celtic Park. However, he gradually fell down the pecking order after McDonald returned from suspension and Killen recovered from injury. His only significant impact during this season was scoring the winning penalty in a Champions League penalty shootout against Spartak Moscow. Żurawski's time at Celtic ultimately concluded following the signing of Georgios Samaras in January 2008. He made 55 league appearances and scored 22 goals for Celtic.

3.5. AEL

On the deadline day of the 2008 winter transfer window, Żurawski was signed by the Greek side AEL for a transfer fee of 500.00 K GBP. He made an immediate impact, scoring a goal in his Greek league debut, which was the only goal in a 1-0 victory over AEK Athens. Żurawski went on to become Larissa's top scorer for the 2008-09 season, netting nine goals. He appeared in 38 league matches, scoring 15 goals.

3.6. Omonia Nicosia

On 2 June 2009, it was announced that Maciej Żurawski had signed with the Cypriot League runners-up, Omonia Nicosia. He played for Omonia for one year, during which he played a crucial role in helping the team secure a league title, marking their return to championship glory after a five-year drought. He was subsequently released by the club in May 2010. During his single season in Cyprus, he made 23 league appearances and scored 8 goals.

3.7. Return to Wisła Kraków

On 30 June 2010, Maciej Żurawski made a significant return to Wisła Kraków after a five-year absence, signing a one-year deal with his former club. In the subsequent 2010-11 season, he played a pivotal role in helping Wisła Kraków secure his fifth Ekstraklasa title. This marked a successful end to his club career with the team where he had previously achieved so much. He made 21 league appearances and scored 1 goal during this final stint.

3.8. Poroniec Poronin

Following his second spell at Wisła Kraków, Maciej Żurawski concluded his playing career with Poroniec Poronin. He played for the club in the III liga for three seasons. In the 2013-14 season, he made 2 appearances and scored 2 goals. The following season, 2014-15, saw him make 20 appearances, scoring 14 goals. In his final season, 2015-16, he played 10 matches and scored 5 goals.

4.1. 2002 FIFA World Cup

Żurawski was selected as a member of the Poland national team's 23-man squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup finals, co-hosted by South Korea and Japan. He featured in all three of Poland's group stage matches. During the match against the United States, Żurawski missed a penalty, though Poland ultimately secured a 3-1 victory in that game. Poland's campaign ended in the group stage.

4.2. 2006 FIFA World Cup

Żurawski was again included in the 23-man Polish squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals held in Germany. Poland finished third in their group, failing to advance past the first hurdle. They suffered losses to the host nation Germany and a determined Ecuador, before securing a victory against Costa Rica. Żurawski did not manage to score in any of the three matches he played during this tournament.

4.3. UEFA Euro 2008

Maciej Żurawski was named as the captain for Poland's squad at the Euro 2008. He started their opening group stage match against Germany on 8 June. However, he sustained an injury during the game and was substituted at half-time. This injury unfortunately ruled him out for the remainder of the tournament, and the captaincy for the subsequent second and third group stage matches was passed to Jacek Bąk and Michał Żewłakow.

5.1. Club

Notes on Club Statistics:

• National cup includes appearances and goals in the Polish Cup, Scottish Cup, Greek Cup, and Cypriot Cup.
• Other includes appearances and goals in the Polish League Cup and the Polish Super Cup.

5.2. International

Scores and results list Poland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Żurawski goal.

6.1. Club

Wisła Kraków

• Ekstraklasa: 2000-01, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2010-11
• Polish Cup: 2001-02, 2002-03
• Polish League Cup: 2000-01
• Polish Super Cup: 2001

Celtic

• Scottish Premier League: 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08
• Scottish Cup: 2006-07
• Scottish League Cup: 2005-06

Omonia

• Cypriot First Division: 2009-10

6.2. Individual

• Ekstraklasa top goalscorer: 2001-02, 2003-04
• Polish Cup top scorer: 2002-03
• Piłka Nożna Polish Footballer of the Year: 2002
• Football Oscar "Footballer of the Year": 2002
• Ekstraklasa Footballer of the Year: 2001, 2002
• Ekstraklasa Striker of the Year: 2003
• SPL Player of the Month: February 2006