1. Overview
Tomasz Kupisz (Tomasz Kupiszˈtɔmaʂ ˈkupiʂPolish; born 2 January 1990) is a Polish professional footballer who plays primarily as a winger for IV liga Masovia club Hutnik Warsaw. He began his youth career in Poland before joining Wigan Athletic in England, where he made his professional debut. Kupisz is widely recognized for his two significant spells with Jagiellonia Białystok in Poland, including winning the Ekstraklasa championship in the 2023-24 season, and for his extensive career across various clubs in Italy, such as Chievo, Cittadella, Brescia, and Salernitana. He has also represented Poland at both youth and senior international levels.
2. Club career
Tomasz Kupisz's club career spans across England, Poland, and Italy, marked by his development from a youth prospect to an experienced professional, with two notable tenures at Jagiellonia Białystok and a long period in the Italian league system.
2.1. Youth and early career
Tomasz Kupisz began his football journey in his native Poland, starting his youth career with local clubs such as Junior Radom and KS Piaseczno. His potential was recognized early, leading to a significant move abroad.
2.2. Wigan Athletic
In February 2007, Kupisz joined English club Wigan Athletic after a successful trial period. He made his professional debut for the Latics on 26 August 2008 in an League Cup match against Notts County, where he scored the final goal in a dominant 4-0 victory for Wigan. Despite this impressive debut, his playing time in subsequent cup matches was limited, largely due to a prolonged injury he sustained shortly thereafter. In the 2009-10 season, Kupisz showcased his attacking prowess in the reserve league, finishing as the third-highest goalscorer with six goals in thirteen matches, primarily playing on the wing. His notable goals during this period included strikes against the reserve teams of Manchester United and Liverpool. However, he struggled to secure opportunities in Wigan's first team, and his contract with the club expired in June 2010.
2.3. Jagiellonia Białystok (first spell)
Following the expiration of his contract with Wigan, Tomasz Kupisz returned to Poland and signed with Jagiellonia Białystok on 2 June 2010 as a free agent. He quickly made his mark, making his official debut for Jagiellonia on 29 July in a UEFA Europa League qualifying match against Aris Thessaloniki, though his side ultimately lost 1-2. During his first spell at Jagiellonia, Kupisz became a regular, making 30 league appearances and scoring 5 goals in the 2010-11 Ekstraklasa season. He continued to be a key player in the following seasons, contributing to their league and cup campaigns before moving to Italy.
2.4. Career in Italy
Kupisz embarked on an extensive career in Italy, playing for numerous clubs across various leagues. In 2013, he joined Chievo. Though he made a limited number of appearances for Chievo in Serie A, he was frequently loaned out to gain more playing time. In the 2014-15 season, he was loaned to Cittadella, where he made 19 appearances and scored 4 goals. The following season, 2015-16, saw him on loan at Brescia, where he was a prominent figure, playing in 40 league matches and scoring 6 goals.
On 5 July 2016, Kupisz joined Novara on loan from Chievo for the entire 2016-17 season, making 27 appearances and scoring once. He then made a permanent move to Cesena on 29 June 2017, where he continued to be a regular during the 2017-18 season, with 31 appearances and 4 goals.
On 28 July 2018, Kupisz signed a two-year contract with Serie B club Ascoli. However, he moved to Livorno on loan on 22 January 2019 for the remainder of the 2018-19 season. On 13 July 2019, he joined Serie C newcomers Bari on a permanent deal. He was then loaned to Serie B club Trapani on 24 January 2020. Another loan spell followed on 15 September 2020, when he moved to Salernitana with an option to buy, playing 31 matches and scoring 3 goals in the 2020-21 season.
For the 2021-22 season, Kupisz was with Pordenone before being loaned to Reggina on 31 January 2022. Shortly after terminating his contract with Pordenone, he departed Italy.
2.5. Jagiellonia Białystok (second spell)
On 2 September 2022, Tomasz Kupisz made his return to Jagiellonia Białystok, signing a two-year deal that included an extension option. His second spell at the club saw him play a significant role, particularly in the 2023-24 Ekstraklasa season. During this season, he made 22 league appearances, contributing to Jagiellonia's historic Ekstraklasa championship victory. Following the conclusion of the 2023-24 season, Kupisz was released by the club in June 2024.
2.6. Hutnik Warsaw
On 17 September 2024, Tomasz Kupisz joined fifth tier club Hutnik Warsaw. He quickly established himself, scoring 4 goals in 10 appearances by November 2024.
3. International career
Tomasz Kupisz has represented Poland at various youth levels, including the under-19 and under-21 squads. He made his senior international debut for the Poland national team in December 2010, appearing in a 2-2 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
4. Career statistics
4.1. Club statistics
Club | Season | League | National cup (Includes Polish Cup, Coppa Italia) | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Oldham Athletic (loan) | 2006-07 | EFL League One | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
Wigan Athletic | 2008-09 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 1 (Appearance in Football League Cup) | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
Jagiellonia Białystok | 2010-11 | Ekstraklasa | 30 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 2 (Appearances in UEFA Europa League) | 0 | 1 (Appearance in Polish Super Cup) | 0 | 37 | 5 |
2011-12 | Ekstraklasa | 29 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 (Appearances in UEFA Europa League) | 0 | - | 32 | 6 | ||
2012-13 | Ekstraklasa | 30 | 1 | 4 | 3 | - | - | 34 | 4 | |||
2013-14 | Ekstraklasa | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 7 | 0 | |||
Total | 95 | 11 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 110 | 15 | ||
Chievo | 2013-14 | Serie A | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 0 | ||
2014-15 | Serie A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | |||
Total | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 0 | ||||
Cittadella (loan) | 2014-15 | Serie B | 19 | 4 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 19 | 4 | ||
Brescia (loan) | 2015-16 | Serie B | 40 | 6 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 42 | 6 | ||
Novara (loan) | 2016-17 | Serie B | 27 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 28 | 1 | ||
Cesena | 2017-18 | Serie B | 31 | 4 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 33 | 4 | ||
Ascoli | 2018-19 | Serie B | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 10 | 0 | ||
Livorno (loan) | 2018-19 | Serie B | 9 | 0 | - | - | - | 9 | 0 | |||
Bari | 2019-20 | Serie C | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 2 (Appearances in Coppa Italia Serie C) | 1 | 13 | 1 | |
Trapani (loan) | 2019-20 | Serie B | 18 | 1 | - | - | - | 18 | 1 | |||
Salernitana (loan) | 2020-21 | Serie B | 31 | 3 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 33 | 3 | ||
Pordenone | 2021-22 | Serie B | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 10 | 0 | ||
Reggina (loan) | 2021-22 | Serie B | 16 | 0 | - | - | - | 16 | 0 | |||
Jagiellonia Białystok | 2022-23 | Ekstraklasa | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 16 | 1 | ||
2023-24 | Ekstraklasa | 22 | 0 | 5 | 0 | - | - | 27 | 0 | |||
Total | 38 | 1 | 5 | 0 | - | - | 43 | 1 | ||||
Jagiellonia II | 2022-23 | III liga, group I | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | |||
2023-24 | III liga, gr. I | 4 | 1 | - | - | - | 4 | 1 | ||||
Total | 5 | 1 | - | - | - | 5 | 1 | |||||
Hutnik Warsaw | 2024-25 | IV liga Masovia | 10 | 4 | - | - | - | 10 | 4 | |||
Career total | 372 | 36 | 24 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 404 | 42 |
4.2. International statistics
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
Poland | |||
2010 | 1 | 0 | |
2011 | 1 | 0 | |
2012 | 1 | 0 | |
2013 | 1 | 0 | |
Total | 4 | 0 |
5. Honours
Jagiellonia Białystok
- Ekstraklasa: 2023-24
- Polish Super Cup: 2010