Marek Papszun gave him a chance in the Ekstraklasa. And everything fell apart. "I stepped into the shadows."

I think there are at least a few. First and foremost, I'd say the team that was formed there. They trusted many players who had progressed from the third to the first league with the team. The team became very united and became a true team. The club may not have had the best conditions, but we managed to make the most of them. We paid attention to the smallest details.

The transfers were also carefully considered, with players finding the right environment. Furthermore, the club's financial stability was paramount. And let's be honest: this isn't the norm in the second or third division. The club lacked nothing. We were provided with everything we asked for. From laundry to shared lunches and two training sessions a day, there was truly nothing to complain about. Added to this was the attacking style of coach Marcin Sasal, who often turned a blind eye to many issues. The fans enjoyed our matches, and we were able to tip the scales in our favor with our offensive play.

You've shown that there's still room in our league football, and beyond, for an element of madness and attacking play. And not just the pure pragmatism for which many coaches are known.

I agree, but such a plan only works up to a point. The higher you go, the harder it is to afford such offensive play. In the third or second league, this is true. Sometimes we played by heart. Our strength last season was that we managed to keep the core of the team and knew each other perfectly. The first round was phenomenal for us, as we didn't lose a single match. We knew each other by heart, while many teams were still building their teams. After that, it got worse, as our opponents simply figured us out. I believe, however, that promotion from the first league to the Ekstraklasa can no longer be achieved based solely on offensive play.

Marek Papszun gave him a chance in the Ekstraklasa. One moment ruined everything. "Shameful."

Things weren't always rosy for you either. I remember your debut at Raków Częstochowa and the five matches you played in the Ekstraklasa. Within two and a half years, you went from being an Ekstraklasa player to the third league.

During my time at Raków, I made a lot of mistakes. Looking back, I've managed to diagnose them all...

What conclusions did you draw?

Back then, I thought I was doing everything right. I thought my lifestyle and conduct were appropriate, but now I see how much time I was devoting to it all. It's a complete wasteland. I also missed having someone close to me who would be there, hold my hand, and guide me. This also applied to my everyday life, as I was a young man who had just left home. I lost track of things. Mentally, after that unfortunate match against Legia (he was sent off in the 33rd minute), I couldn't cope and get back to the right level.

My current partner has had a significant influence on my subsequent successes, and she's been a huge supporter. She's sacrificed a lot, both in her life and in our lives together, to help me reach this level. Without her, it would have been very difficult to reach the third division.

I heard you were even considering continuing to play football at that point.

That's how it was. She made it clear then: we're focusing on football, and either we'll see progress this year and move up, or we'll have to reconsider. Let's be honest: at the third-division level, it's not easy to earn and save money. And to plan a future together based on football.

Did you feel after the match against Legia that you had damaged the trust of coach Marek Papszun so much that it could be the end in Raków?

I knew I'd definitely fall down the pecking order after that match. And that's exactly what happened. I definitely broke the coach's trust, but mentally I couldn't handle it. It was simply embarrassing to be substituted at a time like that. I couldn't process it, and at the time I thought that if I'd had someone as close to me as I do now, we would have acted differently. At that point, I decided I'd just step back and leave it at that. I trained, but I couldn't pull myself together and compete for a place in the squad.

Nowadays, many young people say that you have to be bold in many situations in life.

I missed that a bit. I remember starting the summer preseason as a player whose future was very uncertain, but even in the friendlies, things really looked promising. I got my chance very quickly, in the second round, and I pushed myself hard to earn a place in the squad. I lived knowing I had nothing to lose, or I'd be loaned out.

After the match against Legia, it was completely different. My head was down and I knew I shouldn't hurt anyone or show off too much. I just had to write down the day on a piece of paper and photocopy it, just like the coach said, and that was it. Above all, mentally, I was very lacking. Football-wise, I wasn't far behind and was coping, as the earlier matches showed. Looking back, I also regret not seeking professional help with this problem at the time.

So what did you learn from Marek Papszun?

I think it's a general understanding of football and certain behaviors that no one had ever noticed before. It's probably hard for outsiders to understand, but it's true. When you come to Raków, you pay attention to a lot of details. Some players playing in the First League and Ekstraklasa probably never even know about such nuances. And even at 30, you can learn a lot there. I learned a lot from that period, and some things helped me on the pitch later. I quickly realized this when I was loaned from Raków to Warta Poznań. The difference was huge.

At the Ekstraklasa Gala summarizing the previous season, a survey appeared in which a significant portion of players identified coach Papszun as someone they wouldn't want to work with. Where might this reluctance stem from? Is it fear of such a titanic task?

That might be the case. I don't want to comment on this in detail, but perhaps some players are actually resistant to it. They don't want to work so much and have so many responsibilities, because at Raków, the day doesn't end with just one training session. I filled out the surveys myself. But on the other hand, I think it's precisely thanks to this daily work and process that the club is in this place and has remained at the top for so long. There are also mythical stories about what's happening at the club, but I've experienced it myself and I know it's not as terrible as some people say.

Rebuilding from the third league. "Many thoughts swirl in my head then."

Was relegation to the third league a kind of purgatory for you? You disappeared from major football for a few years, and now you've joined Polonia Bytom. And I know Ekstraklasa clubs have been inquiring about you, too.

It probably ended with just inquiries from the Ekstraklasa. Nothing concrete came of it, and when the offer from Bytom came, I thought it would be a sensible move. Was relegation to the third league like purgatory for me? It definitely was, because a lot of thoughts swirl in my head at this level. Especially when you've just been in the Ekstraklasa. I remember getting injured quickly in the third league, and that's when serious concerns and thoughts about what to do next really kick in. If my partner hadn't grabbed me by the hand and shown me how to live, it would have been difficult. And then I fell a little in love with that hard work. And maybe it's a good thing I fell off the radar for a while, because there was time for quiet work and rebuilding. I always had a hunger to return and take up the challenge at a higher level. I realize how old I am, and I know there won't be many more of these opportunities.

You boarded a train that could have irrevocably left right under your nose.

I was laughing a little that he was already slipping away, but I still managed to catch up. But the thoughts did come back, even after some games in the third league. You think you'll have to give it all up. Especially when you're on the other side of the country, not earning a fortune, just the national average. And by investing in yourself, you sometimes actually contribute to the business. Fortunately, I managed to rebuild, and I'm happy with where I'm at.

Polonia Bytom activists surprised him greatly. "It's a similar project to Raków."

What convinced you about Polonia Bytom?

I try to keep track of many things in this environment. I read a lot of articles and have already observed the development of this club. I've heard a lot about the coaches and people who work in Bytom. I won't deny that I was a bit surprised, because I'd previously been heavily criticized for my defensive deficiencies. And I know that's fundamental at Polonia. When the first introductory video call took place, it was presented in great detail against the team's background. They also showed what I could bring to Polonia. They also pointed out what I needed to improve to become a better player. I had similar feelings myself.

I was very impressed with the level of our conversation. After that meeting, I knew this would be the right path for me. I had the feeling I wasn't joining a team that didn't fully know me but wanted to bet on me because of my numbers. I felt Polonia had properly vetted me, and it wasn't a coincidence. Plus, I knew the direction the entire club was heading, and that wasn't the final word. Many things came into play here.

For many years, the saying circulated that Raków was a university for footballers. Has Polonia also become such a place at the first-division level?

That was also one of the reasons I chose Polonia Bytom. I felt it was a similar project to Raków. I don't want to say the same, but I see many similarities. After my time in Częstochowa, I knew I wanted to return to a similar project. I wanted to reconnect with it, because in Bytom we have everything we need. We're well-prepared for matches. We have good infrastructure. In terms of recovery, there's nothing to complain about either. Plus, there's a gym in the club. And all of this makes you want to stay and work here. And I can also say that compared to Raków, there's more individual analysis. Many things are truly at Ekstraklasa level.

Is Łukasz Tomczyk a coach who keeps his players within a rigid tactical framework? Or does he give them freedom? You mentioned in one of your conversations that coach Marcin Sasal gave you more freedom in your offensive actions.

I don't think he's that strict in that regard. He often singles out my successful moves and tells me to behave in that way. It's not a rigid approach where you just have to do one move and that's it. My successful moves are included in the on-field work package. With Coach Sasal, a lot of things were actually based on intuition on the field. Although these were also repeatable things we developed.

Coach Tomczyk has become a household name across the country. Coach Marek Papszun even saw him on his staff. What sets his skills and those of the other coaches on his staff apart?

I think it's the meticulousness and attention to detail. I'd also mention the desire to win at all costs. He instills this in us, and then the team buys into it and speaks for the coach. A team with character reflects the coach. You can feel that no one complains. Everyone has fallen in love with this daily work. I was incredibly impressed by the fact that this team will follow their coach through fire. And that doesn't always happen in every locker room. Sometimes the team is divided and the players complain. You won't hear even half a bad word between the players.

He writes down his goals on a piece of paper. "The Ekstraklasa isn't that far away."

How many times have you heard the word "process" in the club?

A lot, for sure, but there's no point in turning everything upside down after two defeats. I think that out of 10 such matches against Stal Rzeszów, we would have won nine times. That's the process. In many matches, with so many crosses, set pieces, and chances in the penalty area, you simply win. In the match against ŁKS, especially in the first half, we played well. The first goal for the opponents was a bit of a fluke. After the second goal, our play fell apart a bit, but the 0-5 scoreline doesn't fully reflect the match. I think we were even a slightly better team than our opponents, but we couldn't threaten them enough to try to score.

Were you more hurt by the 0-5 defeat to ŁKS or the 0-1 defeat to Stal Rzeszów?

The defeat in Łódź hurt me deeply. I was very dissatisfied there, because I really thought we played a good game, and we lost 5-0. Against Stal, it hurt me because it was a home defeat after waiting so long for the first league in Bytom. Besides that, we dominated, we had the upper hand. In the second half, the opponent maybe crossed the halfway line twice. Comparing the two matches, the feelings were similar. Just for different reasons. The perspective was completely different.

Are you toning down the mood, which was probably overly optimistic after two wins at the beginning of the season?

The mood is certainly subdued, but on the other hand, we know our worth and the specifics of the entire First Division. We won't be missing out on the playoffs by much. And with systematic work, it will become easier over time.

We've been talking about you being a talisman, so I'd like to ask when the Ekstraklasa might come to Bytom? Because the sporting prospects are such that I think it could be a possibility in the coming years.

For now, we're taking the entire project one match at a time. We're taking it step by step, and at the end of the round, we'll definitely look at the table and see what happens. I think the Ekstraklasa isn't so far off that we can't dream of it. Every player has to dream and strive to play in the elite league, and simply be hungry for success.

Do you still write down your goals? If so, what's on it now?

I did have goals written down on paper, but in Grodzisk Mazowiecki I managed to achieve them relatively quickly. I was probably more pessimistic, because before the end of the season I had to change them to give myself another push. Now I also have further goals written down, both personal and football-wise. I don't want to talk about them openly, but I've set the bar quite high. I probably won't achieve it anytime soon. There's a general goal that might only come true at the end of the season.