Goal machine joins new club, "relegation face" to partner Lewy? | OneFootball

Last summer, hardly anyone knew his name. In his homeland, he was even held partly responsible for the relegation of his former club. In March, he could suddenly line up alongside Robert Lewandowski at the top of the attack in the World Cup playoffs.

What sounds like a bold thesis is the result of a rapid development: Mateusz Zukowski has experienced a dramatic career boost in just a few months. Before the season, almost no one had him on their radar. Only 1. FC Magdeburg was keeping an eye on the Polish goal-getter, as 'transfermarkt.de' reports in retrospect. 

A metatarsal fracture at the start of the Polish season almost caused the deal to fall through. But because Martijn Kaars moved to FC St. Pauli, FCM urgently needed another attacking option—and signed the injured Zukowski on deadline day for just 250,000 euros. A risk. And, in hindsight, a real bargain.

Sporting director Otmar Schork spoke of a "signing for the future" when announcing the deal. But this future has apparently begun sooner than expected. In the relegation battle of the 2. Bundesliga, Zukowski has long since become a decisive factor.

The numbers impressively underline his importance: Although he was only able to help Magdeburg from matchday 13 onwards, he has already scored eleven goals in ten matches. Previously, the club had managed just nine goals in twelve games and was, at times, bottom of the table. After matchday 23, they now have 34 goals to their name. Only Benjamin Källmann (Hannover 96), Younes Ebnoutalib (Elversberg, now Eintracht Frankfurt), and Isac Lidberg (Darmstadt 98) have scored more often.

While Hannover and Darmstadt are fighting for promotion, Zukowski could shoot his team to safety. That he can do so in spectacular fashion, he proved in the crazy 5-4 win in Fürth. Within 18 minutes, the Pole scored a hat-trick and was subsequently compared to Robert Lewandowski by the Polish portal 'Dziennik.pl'. 

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The fact that people in his homeland are suddenly paying close attention is also due to his unusual career path. Before his time in Magdeburg, Zukowski scored just 15 goals in 168 matches. No wonder, since he made his breakthrough as a right-back. In this role, even Glasgow Rangers took notice of him. But he couldn't establish himself in Scotland, so he returned to Poland. From time to time, Zukowski also played as a winger in the past, but it was only at his last club, Slask Wroclaw, that he was allowed to play a few matches as a center forward. 

However, the next setback followed there: The club from Wroclaw was relegated, and Zukowski was labeled as one of the "faces of relegation" by the portal 'Sport.pl'. A verdict that today seems to come from another era.

"Everyone had already written off the Pole. Incredible what he is achieving abroad," headlined the Polish sports newspaper 'Przegląd Sportowy' even before the match against Schalke a week ago. Although FCM lost the duel 3-5, it didn't stop the now-striker Zukowski from contributing two goals. 

"He is incredibly important for us because he brings a power and dynamism that we were completely lacking. He proved his importance for us today," said coach Petrik Sander after the spectacle in Fürth. With exactly this dynamism, he could now also help the Polish national team in the fight for a World Cup ticket.

It is still unclear whether national coach Jan Urban will actually nominate him. But the portal 'Sport.pl' has already made up its mind, and former national striker Artur Wichniarek also sees him as an option.

"It doesn't make much difference whether you call up someone from the 2. Bundesliga or from the PKO BP Ekstraklasa. The level is the same. He deserves to be watched. Should he be nominated for the playoffs? That's something to consider," he told the Polish broadcaster 'Kanał Sportowy'. 

From "face of relegation" to beacon of hope—hardly any development illustrates so impressively how quickly careers can turn in football. Just this summer, Mateusz Zukowski seemed to have hit rock bottom. Now, even a place alongside Robert Lewandowski is possible.

Sometimes it only takes a few months to completely rewrite a story.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

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