.jpg) Klich withAtlanta United in 2025 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mateusz Andrzej Klich[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1990-06-13)13 June 1990 (age 35) | ||
| Place of birth | Tarnów, Poland | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[2] | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Cracovia | ||
| Number | 43 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1999–2003 | Tarnovia Tarnów | ||
| 2003–2007 | Cracovia | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2008–2011 | Cracovia | 56 | (5) |
| 2011–2013 | VfL Wolfsburg II | 12 | (1) |
| 2012–2013 | →PEC Zwolle (loan) | 13 | (2) |
| 2013–2014 | PEC Zwolle | 30 | (4) |
| 2014–2015 | VfL Wolfsburg II | 6 | (3) |
| 2015–2016 | 1. FC Kaiserslautern | 21 | (4) |
| 2015–2016 | 1. FC Kaiserslautern II | 4 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | Twente | 29 | (6) |
| 2017–2023 | Leeds United | 177 | (21) |
| 2018 | →Utrecht (loan) | 16 | (1) |
| 2023–2024 | D.C. United | 63 | (6) |
| 2025 | Atlanta United | 16 | (0) |
| 2025– | Cracovia | 1 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2008 | Poland U18 | 5 | (0) |
| 2008 | Poland U19 | 1 | (0) |
| 2010–2011 | Poland U20 | 2 | (0) |
| 2010–2012 | Poland U21 | 9 | (2) |
| 2011–2022 | Poland | 41 | (2) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 14:01, 19 August 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 22 September 2022 | |||
Mateusz Andrzej Klich (Polish pronunciation:[maˈtɛ.uʂˈklix]; born 13 June 1990) is a Polish professionalfootballer who plays as amidfielder forEkstraklasa clubCracovia.
Born inTarnów, Klich debuted in theEkstraklasa in November 2008. During the 2009–10 season, he gradually became a regular inCracovia's starting eleven.[citation needed]
On 14 June 2011, he signed withBundesliga sideVfL Wolfsburg on a three-year deal. Wolfsburg paid €1.5 million for Klich, making him the most valuable player in Cracovia's club history.[3][4]
Klich was sent on loan to Dutch clubPEC Zwolle for half a season before making the transfer permanent for a fee reported as €200,000,[5][6] with Wolfsburg securing a repurchase option.[7] During his time at Zwolle he won the 2013–14KNVB Cup on 20 April 2014 beatingAjax 5–1 in the final which also saw the side obtainEuropa League qualification.[8]
In June 2014 Wolfsburg exercised their repurchase option for Klich.[9] During the subsequent first half of the season however, he did not play in theBundesliga, after struggling to displace regular startersKevin De Bruyne,Josuha Guilavogui andLuiz Gustavo in the centre midfield positions and was used only in the reserve team.
In early January 2015, Klich joined2. Bundesliga club1. FC Kaiserslautern, with him signing a contract until summer 2018. The transfer fee was undisclosed.[10]
On 26 August 2016, he joinedEredivisie sideFC Twente on a three-year contract.[11] He was given squad number 43 and made his debut for Twente on 10 September 2016 againstSC Heerenveen. He scored his first goal for the club on 2 October 2016, in a 1–1 draw againstHeracles Almelo.[12] In his first season at the club, he scored six goals and made four assists to help FC Twente to a seventh-place finish in theEredivisie.[13]
After an initial bid was rejected,[14] on 23 June 2017, Klich signed a three-year deal with English clubLeeds United for an undisclosed fee.[15] On 9 August, he made his first-team debut in a 4–1 League Cup victory againstPort Vale,[16] and his League debut 10 days later in a 2–0 win againstSunderland.[17] However, he found himself behindKalvin Phillips,Eunan O'Kane andRonaldo Vieira in the pecking order. His first and only League start for the season came on 26 September 2017, in the defeat againstCardiff City with Klich slipping and losing possession leading to a goal fromKenneth Zohore.[18] Klich revealed that he felt his unfortunate slip led to him being dropped by the then managerThomas Christiansen.[19] After October he was used very sparsely.[20]
On 22 January 2018, Klich joined Dutch club FC Utrecht on a six-month loan from Leeds United until the end of the 2017–18 season.[21]
On 22 January 2018, Klich was sent on loan atFC Utrecht until the end of the season.[21] On 4 February 2018, Klich made his debut in a 2–2 draw against Excelsior.[22] He quickly re-found his form at Utrecht, he gained an assist againstRoda JC on 18 February in a 4–1 victory.[22]
On 29 April 2018, in Utrecht's 2–2 draw againstHeracles Almelo, Klich according toOpta Stats created 11 chances and gained an assist and man of the match award in the match; the chance creation by Klich was the highest number of chances created in a singleEredivisie match sinceChristian Eriksen forAjax in 2012 against Roda JC.[23][24]
On 6 May 2018, on the final day of the season, Klich scored the winner for Utrecht (his first goal for the club) in a 1–0 victory againstVVV-Venlo. Klich impressed for Utrecht during the loan spell and helped them finish 5th and into theEredivisieEuropa League playoffs. When asked if he would return to Leeds he said he 'was 99% sure as he had unfinished business'.[25]
After returning to Leeds for the start of pre-season under new Leeds head coachMarcelo Bielsa,[26] Klich made his first appearance back at Leeds in the pre-season friendly 1–1 draw againstYork City on 20 July 2018, where he played in a newcentre-back role before reverting to adeep-lying playmaker position in the second half.[27] He scored his first league goal for Leeds in the opening game of the 2018–19 season on 5 August 2018 againstStoke City at Elland Road in a 3–1 win, his first competitive game for the club in almost seven months.[28] The following week he scored his second goal for the club in a 4–1 win againstDerby County on 11 August 2018[29][30] and, after scoring againstNorwich City on 25 August, his third goal in five games, Klich was named in thePoland squad again for the first time in four years after impressing for Leeds at the beginning of the2018–19 season.[31]
On 28 April, Klich scored a 'controversial goal' (his ninth of the season). The goal came in a match againstAston Villa during a 1–1 draw, whenJonathan Kodjia remained on the ground with an injury. TeammateTyler Roberts passed the ball to Klich who took it up the left wing and put the ball into the far corner pastJed Steer. The goal – the first of the game – sparked pandemonium, with Villa'sConor Hourihane,Ahmed Elmohamady,Neil Taylor and Leeds'Patrick Bamford caught up in a fracas with Klich at its centre, which involved several additional players from both sides and was eventually broken up by refereeStuart Attwell, Elland Road stewards and other players. In the immediate aftermath, Attwell sent off the peripherally involvedAnwar El Ghazi with a straight red card (subsequently rescinded byThe FA[32]) and head coachMarcelo Bielsa's response to his players was, in the interests of fairness and after consulting with Villa bossDean Smith,[33] that his team should allow an unchallenged equaliser to be scored. From the restart,Albert Adomah essentially walked the ball into net unchallenged by 10 Leeds players, with onlyPontus Jansson giving chase and nearly dispossessing the forward.[33]
On 28 April, he won both the Leeds United Goal of the Season award at the club's annual ceremony for his goal againstSheffield Wednesday.[34] On 5 May 2019, Klich scored his 10th goal of the season in a 3–2 defeat againstIpswich Town.[35]
During the2018–19 Leeds United F.C. season, Klich played 50 games in all competitions, scoring 10 goals and nine assists,[36] being the club's only ever-present player for the League season, after Leeds finished the regular season in third place after dropping out of the automatic promotion places with three games left after a defeat to 10 manWigan Athletic on 19 April.[37] Leeds qualified for the playoffs, including Klich starting the playoff fixtures against sixth-placed Derby County, despite Leeds taking a 1–0 win at Pride Park into the home leg at Elland Road, Leeds lost 4–2 in an encounter that saw Dallas score a brace in the second leg, with Leeds down to 10 men after the red card ofGaetano Berardi,[38] and saw Derby progress to the final againstAston Villa.[38]
Klich scored his first goal of the 2019–20 season on 13 August in theEFL Cup againstSalford City to help earn a 3–0 victory.[39] He scored his second goal of the season in Leeds 2–0 win againstBarnsley on 15 September 2019.[40]
On 9 November 2019, Klich signed a new four-and-a-half-year contract with Leeds. Until the penultimate game of the season on 19 July 2020, he had started every league game – 92 games[41] – since Marcelo Bielsa became manager in 2018 and his previous three-year deal with Leeds was due to expire in the summer of 2020.[42] On 30 November, Klich scored two goals in a 4–0 victory against Middlesbrough. This took Leeds to the top of the Championship, and sealed their five-game winning streak.[43]
On 19 December, Klich won theEFL Championship Goal of the Month for November for his long range strike against Middlesbrough.[44]
After the English professional football season was paused in March 2020 due toImpact of the COVID-19 pandemic on association football, the season was resumed during June, where Klich earned promotion with Leeds to thePremier League and also become theEFL Championship Champions for the 2019–20 season in July after the successful resumption of the season.[45]
Klich made hisPremier League debut in the first match of the season againstLiverpool on 12 September 2020, scoring his side's third goal in an enthralling 4–3 defeat to the reigning champions.[46][47] He scored again and provided an assist in Leeds' second game of the season, a 4–3 win at home against fellow newly promoted sideFulham.[48] He continued his impressive form with an assist in Leeds' 3–0 win away atAston Villa, and scored a penalty in a 2–1 defeat toWest Ham United.[49]
Klich started in Leeds' firstPremier League match of the season in a 5–1 away defeat againstManchester United. He had scored just one goal in this season, in their 2–2 draw withEverton, in the 41st minute, gaining two assists.
Klich had only played 16 matches this season, only getting goal contributions in theEFL Cup, both againstBarnsley in a 3–1 win at home. Klich had played his final match on 4 January 2023, before his pending move to theUnited States. Leeds players formed a 'guard of honour' where they had all changed into shirts with Klich's face on the front, with his name and number on the back.[50]
On 12 January 2023,Major League Soccer sideD.C. United signed Klich to a two-yearDesignated Player contract, pending the approval of a work visa.[51][52] He scored in his debut for D.C. under head coachWayne Rooney in a 3–2 win againstToronto FC on 25 February.[53] The team failed to qualify for theMLS Cup Playoffs in both seasons that Klich played for them.[54]
On 20 December 2024, Klich was traded toAtlanta United byD.C. United in exchange for Atlanta's first round draft pick in the 2025 MLS Draft.[55] He was waived by the club on 21 July 2025, ending his short six-month span with the club.[56]
On 13 August 2025, Klich agreed to join Cracovia on a two-year deal with an option for a third year, returning to his first professional club after fourteen years.[57]
Klich made his debut for the national team ofPoland on 5 June 2011 in afriendly match againstArgentina. Poland won the match 2–1.[58]He scored his first goal in national team in another friendly match againstDenmark on 14 August 2013.[59]
On 27 August 2018, Klich was called up by managerJerzy Brzęczek for matches withItaly andRepublic of Ireland after a four-year absence from the Poland national side, with Klick impressing for Leeds after scoring three goals and one assist in the first five games of the2018–19 season.[31] On 7 September, Klich started for Poland in theirUEFA Nations League 1–1 draw against Italy, with Klich having an involvement in the opening goal forPiotr Zieliński.[60]
On 11 September, he came off the bench at the 87th minute in another friendly match against Republic of Ireland to score an equalizer, his second national team goal to date.[61] On 17 May 2021, Klich was called up to Poland'sUEFA Euro 2020 squad.[62]
His father isWojciech Klich, who was also a professional footballer, playing 84 matches in the Polish first division, and currently works as a youth coach atCracovia.[63] His mother Małgorzata is a PE teacher who won a bronze medal at thePolish championships for 800m freestyle, whilst his sister Maja is a swimmer.[63]
On 6 November 2018, Klich's partner gave birth to his first child, Laura.[64]
Leeds United's fans terrace song for Klich '40 Yards or 50 yards' is a reworked version of the songRotterdam byThe Beautiful South.[65]
On 4 January 2023, Klich played his last game for Leeds United pending a move to MLS in the United States. At the end of the game the players changed into shirts with Klich's face and formed a 'guard of honour' to clap him off the pitch. Klich was emotional and visibly moved, applauding the crowd and then disappearing down the tunnel.[50]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Cracovia | 2008–09[66] | Ekstraklasa | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 0 | ||
| 2009–10[66] | Ekstraklasa | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 21 | 1 | |||
| 2010–11[66] | Ekstraklasa | 27 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 29 | 4 | |||
| Total | 53 | 5 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 55 | 5 | ||||
| VfL Wolfsburg II | 2011–12[66] | Regionalliga Nord | 9 | 1 | — | — | — | 9 | 1 | |||
| 2012–13[66] | Regionalliga Nord | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 12 | 1 | — | — | — | 12 | 1 | |||||
| PEC Zwolle (loan) | 2012–13[67] | Eredivisie | 13 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 2 | ||
| PEC Zwolle | 2013–14[68] | Eredivisie | 30 | 4 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 34 | 4 | ||
| VfL Wolfsburg II | 2014–15[66] | Regionalliga Nord | 6 | 3 | — | — | — | 6 | 3 | |||
| 1. FC Kaiserslautern | 2014–15[66] | 2. Bundesliga | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 1 | ||
| 2015–16[66] | 2. Bundesliga | 16 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 18 | 3 | |||
| Total | 21 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 23 | 4 | ||||
| 1. FC Kaiserslautern II | 2014–15[66] | Regionalliga Südwest | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| 2015–16[66] | Regionalliga Südwest | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | |||||
| FC Twente | 2016–17[69] | Eredivisie | 29 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 30 | 6 | ||
| Leeds United | 2017–18[22] | Championship | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | |
| 2018–19[70] | Championship | 46 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2[c] | 0 | 50 | 10 | |
| 2019–20[71] | Championship | 45 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 47 | 7 | ||
| 2020–21[72] | Premier League | 35 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 36 | 4 | ||
| 2021–22[73] | Premier League | 33 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 37 | 1 | ||
| 2022–23[74] | Premier League | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | — | 16 | 2 | ||
| Total | 177 | 21 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 195 | 24 | ||
| FC Utrecht (loan) | 2017–18[66] | Eredivisie | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 12 | 0 | ||
| D.C. United | 2023[66] | MLS | 32 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | 3[d] | 0 | 36 | 4 | |
| 2024[66] | MLS | 31 | 2 | — | — | 3[d] | 1 | 34 | 3 | |||
| Total | 63 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | 6 | 1 | 70 | 7 | |||
| Atlanta United | 2025[66] | MLS | 16 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 435 | 51 | 15 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 470 | 55 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poland | 2011 | 1 | 0 |
| 2013 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2014 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2019 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 41 | 2 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 August 2013 | PGE Arena Gdańsk,Gdańsk, Poland |  Denmark | 1–0 | 3–2 | Friendly |
| 2 | 11 September 2018 | Stadion Miejski,Wrocław, Poland |  Republic of Ireland | 1–1 | 1–1 |
PEC Zwolle
Leeds United
Individual
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