All language subtitles for Kuba.2024.1080p.WEB.H264-FLAME

I feel uncomfortable.

- What?
- I'm not comfortable in these.

- What are you uncomfortable in?
- Well, in these...

Football socks are not comfortable.

Your feet are still too small
for you to be comfortable.

Is it better now?

We'll see when you put your shoes on.

And this I'll put in the laundry, okay?

Alright.

You need to do it like this.

This ball is a bit underinflated.
It has very little air in it.

Yes!

Missed.

Yes! Doggie, be careful.

Come here. Go there, go there!

Watch out for the dog!

Bravo! We lost.

This tape was actually recorded here…

Say thanks after you lost.

Why are you crying?

It's just a game.

What?

I can't hear you?

Because Lena
picked it up with her hands.

Lena picked it up with her hands. Lena?

Are you alright?

Well, I know, it happens.
You don't always win.

That's okay... I would be upset too.

JUNE 30, 2016 9:52 PM

POLAND-PORTUGAL,
EURO 2016 QUARTER-FINAL

Football is a team sport.

When things don't go our way,

there are still ten others
who have your back.

BŁASZCZYKOWSKI IS STEPPING UP
FOR THE PENALTY KICK

POLAND'S QUALIFICATION
FOR THE EURO SEMI-FINALS

DEPENDS ON THIS SHOT

But it's different in penalties.

You are completely alone.

It was the most important moment
of my football career.

Everything was in my hands.

What made you never give up?

That's a long story.

He is a true legend here in Dortmund!

Błaszczykowski scores!

Are the expectations way too high?

TRUSKOLASY, POLAND, 1992

Camp Nou, Barcelona.

The whole of football Poland
has been waiting for this day.

We are playing for gold.

In '92, my uncle Jurek
played in the final of the Olympics.

And everyone was watching.

Everyone was sitting
in front of the TV.

Spain-Poland. Ours in white. Here we go.

Kowalczyk! What an opportunity! Goal!

Goal! Goal! Wojciech Kowalczyk!

1:0! It's going well!
Very well, in fact!

That tournament meant a lot to me.

Still a draw. Attention!

Kiko! Kiko scores! What drama!

Disaster for Poland.

At a moment like this,

Spain takes away our hope
for Olympic gold.

I never really thought about the fact

that there was an Olympic
football player in our family.

He was just my idol.

Someone I could observe
playing during the match

and how he behaved between games.

Brzęczek! Jerzy Brzęczek!

Someone I looked up to.
I wanted to be like him.

...and there, among these
beautiful women, is grandpa.

He had access to my friends,
to these national team players.

I think this served
as additional motivation for him

to fight for the opportunity
to be in that position in the future.

Good evening! We're just hours away
from the closing ceremony

of the 25th Olympics.

We lost that final,
but it didn't matter.

The Polish team was going home
with a silver Olympic medal.

And I knew all those guys.
They were my uncle's friends.

This football tradition of ours
started a little earlier.

My grandfather founded a club
in Truskolasy.

Practically the whole family
played there.

Everyone from Truskolasy
and the surrounding area was involved.

Let's go. Action.

I don't remember much from that time.
I was too young.

The only thing I remember
is that I loved eggs.

I always ate eggs.

Whole boiled eggs.
That was the only way I ate them.

What did you wear
for your communion?

A suit and football boots.

After leaving the church,
I immediately put on my football boots

and walked around in a suit
and football boots.

It was an amazing feeling.

Football was my whole life,

I was always thinking about it.

We had a ball but it was deflated.

And, in the winter, we would leave
this ball outside for it to freeze.

When it froze, you could kick it,
because it was hard.

Then, we went out in our tracksuits,
and we played brutal football.

There were no rules in brutal football.

The idea was to just go in
with a sliding tackle

to take the other player down.

I'm supposed to look
in your direction, right?

As always with siblings, the older one
is more well put together

and the younger one is usually
the bigger troublemaker.

I'll say this...

Ladies and gentlemen,
and they are fighting...

After that, I didn't get involved.
I never interfered.

Because they are boys.
They have to let off steam.

They loved each other very much.
And that was evident.

And the fact that they got into fights
from time to time, that too.

Who didn't close the door?

In those days,
we didn't have any money,

we didn't have money for ice cream.

We had to hustle
for there to be any money.

We did this all the time.

I was the one who knew

that there were these two big pistons
in my grandmother's garage.

We took that piston.

Since it was made of aluminium,

we thought that we could take it
to the scrap yard and sell it there.

We hid it in a bag so no one would see
what we were carrying.

And since the two of us
couldn't lift the bag,

we put it on a skateboard.

This lady was buying the scrap metal.

It was about 2-3 hours
before we arrived at the scrap yard.

And everything was fine.

The lady said: "And where
did you get this from?", etc.

We said that we had found it.

We were imagining all the ice cream
we would be able to get.

We were imagining that we were
on holiday, lounging around.

And suddenly the phone rang.

The lady picked up and said:
"Well hello, hello.

Alright. Yes, they're here.

Yes, they brought it. Well, okay".

I remember it like it was today.
She put the phone down and said:

"Boys, Grandma Fela called.

You have to go home with this."

I always knew about everything
that was going on. Always.

“You taught me everything I know.

You raised me well.

That's the way I am, and don't say
that something about me bothers you.

Because I learned everything from you".

I said that's fine if you learned
everything from me.

And the fact that we are who we are
is all thanks to her.

I think we are mirror images
of Grandma Fela.

Now we're sitting.

We're each 35, 40, 50 and 60 years old,
and all she has to do is look.

Mrs Felicja Brzęczek with this broom.
I don't know who it's for.

Probably that bad daughter.
That very bad one.

And what's beautiful is that
we all have great respect for her.

She just has to look at you.

I asked you about the moment you knew
you were going to be a footballer.

You said you always knew.

And somewhere, I found the moment

when Dawid knew
you would be a footballer.

We played against each other.
Just the two of us. Without friends.

Without other participants.

And we spent a lot of time
playing one-on-one.

And I perfectly remember situations

when after playing together
we returned home.

Dawid was showering at the time.

I came in and started throwing
dirty clothes in the laundry.

And a thought came to me.
And I said to Kuba:

If you won't play football,
I don't know who will play football.

I saw what you were doing.
It's impossible.

Wow. My brother,
who competed with me all my life.

Who always wanted to prove
that he was better than me.

Who never gave up.

He told me
that I have to play football.

And he also played football.

It meant a lot to me
that he said something like that.

It was announced in the newspaper

that there were football trials
for kids being held.

We went there
for that training session.

There were a lot of kids there.

And I also remember vividly
that the coaches,

who were standing by
and watching this game,

put checkmarks next to certain names.

After two or three checkmarks,
I don't know, 15-20 minutes,

he was invited right away to training.

I remember those trials.

And I even remember what happened to me
before the trials.

There was a broken bottle,

and I kneeled right into
the broken glass, cutting my knee.

The worst part was figuring out
how to tell my parents.

How to tell them
without getting into trouble.

In the end, I managed to convince
my mom not to take me to get stitches.

And what was your mom like?

If I were to describe her,
she was very resourceful,

responsible and hardworking.

If I were to assess her as an adult,

I think she had a strong character.

She never gave up.

She knew she had children to raise.

And she always had one dream
- for us to play football.

Always.

It was a period, as I mentioned,
during my childhood,

when I was happy.

Later on, things changed a bit.

But during those early years,

I was genuinely happy.

And I think...

it's because I felt loved.

Just a while before...

...there was a moment
that changed my whole life.

ZYGMUNT BŁASZCZYKOWSKI
KUBA'S FATHER

Do you want to talk about it?

How it unfolded? What it looked like?

Not today. I can't today.

I need a bit more strength for that.

Honestly, I think he stood out the most
in the football community

in Częstochowa at that time.

One evening, I was sitting
in front of the computer,

and I got a message

asking if I have the phone number
of a mutual friend.

But who was asking me for the number?

So I asked: "I won't give you
the number. Who are you?"

Then, he introduced himself,
and suddenly, it clicked for me.

He plays on the same team as him.

He sees him every day
in the dressing room

and this guy is asking me
for his phone number.

When I gave it to him,

he straightforwardly asked
if we could meet.

Right away.
He didn't beat around the bush.

I didn't think it would turn
into anything serious.

- But it's Kuba's.
- Agata, take him...

Thursday evening.

Agata showed me that second,
good side of life.

Of course, she gave me
three wonderful children,

but she also created a home
where I feel safe.

And she knew how to tame the bull

in a really smart way.

And you were incredibly motivated,
weren't you?

Even recalling the days of Górnik
and boarding school.

I needed to be close to my family,
you know?

I was afraid to be far from home.

I didn't feel safe at all at that time.

I consciously made
my first significant life decision.

There was a match in Zabrze.

We were playing against KS Częstochowa.
I didn't play in that game.

I went onto the pitch
towards the end of the game

and then Edward Fils came and asked:
"Why are you here?

You don't play at all.
You're a substitute.

Join us, you'll play with us."

If such a player in the Górnik
youth team isn't playing,

something must be wrong.

I said no. If I stay there,
there's no chance I'll play football.

No chance.

The conversation
with the sports director at Górnik

lasted half an hour
and the boy showed up at my place.

The whole family
was upset with me then.

I felt the need to help young players
in the lower leagues

so that they could have
proper training, a coach,

a meal after the match
and transportation.

Great talents always come through.

Nevertheless, I know
that someone needs to push them a bit.

They have to be helped a little bit.

But the most significant value
must come from them.

Their character,
the desire to work hard.

Today's athletes
lack one thing: poverty.

A young lad, against all odds,

made the decision to return,
on his own,

from an Ekstraklasa club
to a fourth-division club.

Kuba had already caught
people's attention.

I remember a few matches
where he won on his own.

Flis wanted to send you to Bełchatów.

Kruszankin to ŁKS. Brzęczek to Lech.

And I came back from Poznań,

and the phone rings, asking me
to come to Wisła Kraków.

Because it's part of that...
set design.

Ok, so I'll be in contact
with the base.

Can you see my wrinkles?

The phone rang. I checked.

Jurek Brzęczek was calling
and he said: "Listen.

Perhaps you could take my nephew
into the team. He's fantastic."

And he starts listing his qualities
and characteristics.

"Listen, Jurek. Are you sure
he'll do a good job at Wisła Kraków?

Coming from KS Częstochowa?"

Żurawski up! Total euphoria!

Thirteenth title for the White star!

Sixth in the last ten years.

He joined the club.

A club that was considered a dream team
in Polish football at that time.

Wisła Kraków, Legia Warszawa,
Ruch Chorzów, Górnik Zabrze.

These are the four teams that have won
the most Polish Championship titles.

Wisła Kraków is a Polish powerhouse.

I was terribly stressed at the time.

When I walked into the dressing room,
I didn't know how to address the guys,

as there were many
national team players there,

whether to say "you" or "sir".

He impressed me a lot.
He impressed me with his humility.

It was evident that he had
tremendous respect

for the older players.

I remember that,
after the first training session,

Mauro Cantoro went to the coach
and said, "Where did you find him?"

Who's coming? Błaszczykowski!

Goal! Jakub Błaszczykowski!

I remember that. That's Polonia Warsaw.

A goal and an assist.

I scored a goal.

I had an assist in the second one.
I'm very happy about that.

My first interview,
but it was okay, right?

But I think I'm doing well
in terms of speed and endurance.

Everything is fine.
So, I think it's going to be good.

In that response of mine,
you could see the strength.

My focus was always on pushing myself
to do more.

Błaszczykowski! Precision! Strength!

Where did he come from?
This lad scores again!

Wisła leads! 1:0!

A SHOOTING STAR AT WISŁA KRAKÓW

I had an old, beaten-up Golf III
with a cracked exhaust manifold.

To start the car,

I needed to warm it up
for a few minutes to get it to start.

Smoke would emerge
from under the car.

It was a magical car.

When the game was over,
I was there waiting for him,

and we got into the car.

5 minutes, 10 minutes.
15, 20 minutes. We're waiting.

We were waiting and waiting.
They were closing the stadium.

And I said,
"Why are we sitting in this car?"

And I said, "Wait. Let everyone leave.
I'll start it once everyone has gone."

Set piece. Let's see!

Błaszczykowski!

From such a position! A header.

It's not like the club
became interested.

He got me interested.

He got the coach
and his friends interested.

You could sense the feeling there

that Kuba was going
to make it big in football.

It was the perfect time for Kuba.
The perfect team.

He managed to fit in, to develop.

He had the determination
to keep fighting.

Not to give up.

Błaszczykowski! Błaszczykowski!

Backward pass! Jean Paulista! Goal!

Kuba in his style.

Right side. Second assist.

Paweł Brożek!

I had reached a point in my mind,
in my approach to the sport,

that I was focused on myself.

I wasn't focusing
on who I was playing against.

Błaszczykowski! Błaszczykowski!

Still Błaszczykowski! And Brożek!

That's when I felt

like I had done something
that doesn't happen often.

A world class move!
Błaszczykowski-Brożek!

We were observing him closely...

Indeed, that was a period when Kuba

became a lucrative target
for many clubs.

Watching his game,

it was immediately clear
that he had incredible skills.

He's an extraordinary dribbler.

Full control. Balance.

And what's next?
What's going to happen now?

There was this uncertainty,
but also this joy that,

playing for such a team, he succeeded.

] A touching moment.

Today, something is coming to an end.

Kraków says goodbye to its idol.

Is it irrevocable?

He promises to come back here again.

Małecki for Kuba.

He was the one who made the decision
to move to Dortmund.

He asked me to go with him.

That's when my dad stepped in.

My father-in-law wasn't too sure
about me at first.

"Well, but how do you imagine that?
How will you go to Germany?

As who? What will you go there for?"

So I told Kuba that my dad said that.
And he proposed.

I don't know if he wanted to,
but he had no choice.

You just don't want to go out...

It's all so neat and nice.
Show what real life looks like.

Teddy, what's going on?

Teddy, get him!

You didn't phrase the question
in such a way

that I was supposed
to give a "yes" or "no" answer.

Remember,
you asked it in a complicated way.

"So? Are we going to Germany
together or not?"

- You weren't that cocky then.
- No?

- No.
- What was I like?

"Honey, but how?
You have to come with me.

I won't go without you."

I remember having a mullet.

But what hair!

Your hair in the back
was longer than mine,

and in the front it was short.

What must have been going on
in my head...

You had a maroon Nike hoodie
that I remember to this day.

Shiny, zipped up. Do you remember?

I'm talking to you!

I remember,
but I can't get over the shock.

How handsome you were?

All sports media
here in North Rhine-Westphalia

are wondering
who Kuba Błaszczykowski is

and how he is going to fit in
with the team.

We are in a hotel today.

What is a hotel for a football player?

Hotels are our second home.

We really spend a lot of time
in these hotels.

This is our feast when we arrive.
Cola, fries, salad.

My love, cheers!

And I'm having a hamburger.

Hamburger and a cola -
the best food for a football player.

You know. You were 19, I was 21.

Going abroad alone isn't easy, right?

He would leave in the morning.

I would stay in this little hotel room.

He would come back at noon
for a nap and go out again.

He would come back in the evening.

So, I worked wonders there.
I ironed things into the suitcase.

Took them out
and put them back in three times.

Then, I told the cleaning ladies
to give me the cleaning supplies.

I'll clean it myself
because I had nothing else to do there.

I explored the whole neighbourhood.

I read a few books for learning German,
but I was always by myself.

We were young.
We were learning everything.

We were learning about the culture,
learning the language.

And it was something new for me
because the difference

between the Bundesliga
and the Ekstraklasa

was very significant.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

We'd like to give you all
a warm welcome

to this exciting football night.

I think I scored my first goal
against Eintracht Frankfurt away,

giving us a 1:0 lead and I think
the game ended in a 1:1 draw.

What a game!
Now, Kringe has the ball.

A cross to Błaszczykowski, no offside.

Goal! 1:1.

That's the first ever goal
of the Polish player

wearing black and yellow colours.

I was the type of player who ran fast.

Like a Polish mouse,
if I may say so, but...

Back then, we didn't have a great team.

Kuba joined us in 2007.

We weren't the Borussia we are today.

Borussia was on the verge
of bankruptcy in 2005.

We were happy that it still existed.

Kuba was our first major signing
back then.

Just under 3 million euros.

13th place in the league,
but also the final.

- The final.
- Do you remember that final?

That was the only red card
I've ever received.

We lost 2:1 in extra time
due to the second yellow card.

I got a red card, probably
in the 112nd minute, in extra time.

Do you remember
the first yellow card?

Yes, I struck Lahm.

I wanted to receive the ball
and I kicked him in the face.

- No?
- No.

You entered the penalty area
from the right wing

and tripped over nothing.

Ah, the so-called "Padolino", right?

An indecent and dishonest attempt
by BVB to force a penalty.

It will surely mean a card...

Unfortunately,
we lost to Bayern in extra time.

That's when Jürgen Klopp
joined the club.

There was a good relationship
between him and Kuba.

They understood each other well,

and so Jürgen was able
to make Kuba a great player.

For those who don't know,

I have been the coach
of Jakub Błaszczykowski

for the last seven years.

Kuba himself
would be the first to admit it.

When young Klopp appeared,
everything changed.

I'm sure I wouldn't be the player
and the person I am

if I hadn't met him.

Was it "ważniak", "drewniak"?

Kuba was a "drewniak",
and I was a "ważniak".

Under Jürgen Klopp,
we really formed an incredible group.

Out of all the line-ups we had,

it was probably the best one
I've been in.

The team is really impressive,

new coach, a few new players
and the same old hope to win it all.

Will they succeed?

Will the new Polish trio
and the ambitious coach

change everything?

The team is, as always,
a mirror image of the coach,

and if there is anyone who undoubtedly

brings out the best in the team,
it is Klopp.

After the screwed-up years,

Jürgen was the one
who restored glory to that team.

I love the excitement of BVB,

the stadium is amazing
and the yellow wall is extraordinary.

This is how I imagine football.

Jürgen was not hired to win titles.
That was not our intention at all.

When you don't have money,
you have to be creative.

We decided on a young team,
along with some experienced players.

A year later, Łukasz Piszczek,
was not very experienced,

but he was better than the others.

From where do you see me? From here?

When you're in good company
and you feel good,

it goes by very quickly.

Playing with Kuba on the side
all these years,

for me it was an easy thing.

The guys from the team were joking

that they should toss a second ball
to the right side

because once we get it on the right,
we don't want to pass it to others.

We responded after the matches:

"We're responsible for 60% of the goals
in the season.

What more do you want?"

The three of us in total,
along with Robert.

Lewandowski passes to Piszczek,
Piszczek runs and passes to Kuba.

Is it going to end with a goal? Yes!

That's the Polish move
by Lewandowski,

Piszczek and Błaszczykowski.

The Polish trio strikes again!

When we do something,
we always do it together, right?

Lewy is learning the ropes.

Lewandowski too.

I'm always somewhere in there, too.

The three of us, Łukasz, Kuba and I
joined Borussia.

It was a pivotal moment for the club,
marking the beginning of its ascent.

The club played in the Europa League
the season before,

but Borussia really reached its peak

the following season.

I think Kuba was the player who,

in his prime,

was a perfect fit
for how Borussia wanted to play.

They brought so much energy
to the pitch

and it was hard
to play against them.

Later, when I joined the team,

I had a chance to observe
from the inside

what I experienced
when playing against them.

Very crowded in the middle zone
of the pitch.

We see short passes now.
Return ball to Błaszczykowski.

Błaszczykowski! Brought down!

Will Gunter be in time? No!

Kuba Błaszczykowski!

And Kuba had his wedding.

That was before he joined,
it was this summer. With Agata.

And we were at that wedding too.

And after that,
things started rolling very fast.

I, Jakub, take you Agata to be my wife

and vow to give you love...

...fidelity and honesty in marriage,

and that I will not leave you
until death do us part.

I was the most nervous person there.

Because of the church, the vows.

And I remember you told me then

that you weren't nervous
about that at all.

Only about our first dance.

And you asked me
if you could count out loud.

But I did a good job. I was smooth.

You were good? Literally.

Tell me, how good were you?
And what happened when we were dancing?

Oh, you mean
when my shirt slipped out?

- Your shirt, your vest.
- My shirt, no. Just the vest.

And didn't your pants get ripped?

- No. They didn't.
- No?

A round of applause!

Agata and Kuba.
My dear friends, fantastic.

I also remember
our beginnings in Dortmund

and how we won our first championship.

How Poles who spoke Polish,

but had already lived abroad
for many years, in Germany,

spoke to us in German
because they were a bit embarrassed.

To put it mildly,

Poles didn't have a good reputation
in Germany at the time.

We had been accused
of certain stereotypes...

I was supposed
to share a room with...

Petrić?

Yes, I was supposed
to share a room with him,

and he joked
that he had to hide his wallet from me.

I knew it wasn't a good idea
to mess with Kuba.

I laughed when one of the guys
in Dortmund

thought that there
he could take on Kuba,

but he quickly found out
that maybe that's not the way to go.

Fortunately, Petrić happened to have
the same manager.

I immediately called Wolfgang
and said,

"Call Petrić right away
and have him apologise to Kuba

because Kuba won't forgive him
for what he did".

Kuba really knows how to fight.
He's very strong.

I wouldn't recommend confronting Kuba.
He always wins.

Your family isn't here yet?
Both of you have kids on the way?

I have a nine-month-old daughter,
you know...

A daughter?

Yes... me too. Awesome!

And daughters too?
When are they due?

- In three months.
- In two months.

Well, he didn't find out first.
He was already heading onto the pitch.

And Emilka, Dawid's little daughter,
was there,

and I said, "Emilka, please,
when your uncle comes back,

don't tell him about anything
that happened here. I'll tell him."

"Okay, Auntie".

So Kuba comes home,
and Emilka says,

"Uncle, you know
what happened today?

Auntie Agata is pregnant".

He said: "Yes, yes, Emilka".

So, I took the test, stood there...

A priceless reaction.

We wanted to have kids early on.

He was very happy.

Where are you?

Oh, Jesus. We've been gone
for five minutes...

You went to Lidl without me?

- Why did you go there?
- To take a ride.

And is the film crew with you?

Of course.

- The first child...
- And daddy went crazy.

- And the first...
- Championship!

...championship.

Yes, I remember
Oliwia was three weeks old...

She was born in April, and in May...

- In early May, you won...
- Yes, the championship.

This is the moment
when legends are born.

Borussia plays against Nuremberg

and they have a chance
to win the title.

Borussia midfielder's last chance.
What is happening?

Goal, goal, goal! 1:0...

The first championship was amazing
and unexpected

because we weren't the favourites
before the season started.

Lewandowski stole the ball
form the defender!

Lewandowski, goal! 2:0!

The first championship
was so unpredictable,

we had no idea what would happen.

I have fond memories of that time.

First Poles to become
the Champions of Germany!

This city is crazy about football.

If you succeed here,
playing good football with the team

and impressing people,

it will be celebrated
in every corner of the city.

The streets of Dortmund are full.

Thousands of fans
have flooded the streets

like a sea of yellow and black
to celebrate this unbelievable success.

The streets are full of celebrations,
singing and honking cars.

The winner's parade
is a spectacle of joy and pride.

Truly something beautiful.

Kuba's work ethic,
those difficult moments,

led him to lift the trophy
and celebrate that success.

We are making history.

Look at what's happening here.
Just look.

Incredible, an incredible life.

We didn't really know what to expect.

With the second championship,

I already had a sense
of what to anticipate.

And here we thought that they
would stop at a singular victory.

Borussia Dortmund wins
another Championship,

for the second year in a row.

What a team, what a fighting spirit,
what an achievement!

Was it harder to stay on top
or to get there?

I think both are difficult.

In football, every match starts at 0:0.

At first, getting to the top,

you want to prove to those at the top
that you can do it.

Then, being at the top,
you have to prove to everyone

that you're as good
as your last season.

But everything still starts at 0:0.

BORUSSIA STILL TOP
SECOND WIN IN A ROW

THE POLISH TRIO IS A CORNERSTONE
OF BORUSSIA DORTMUND'S SUCCESS

He's a BVB legend because
he always identified with the club

and was always loyal to it.

He was a very good player for us.
A great warrior.

In the team itself,
if I mention Kuba Błaszczykowski,

everyone knows him.

They know he played for Borussia
for many years.

They also know
he played here for our club.

A new piece of gossip
forms in the BVB dressing room.

Is it possible that there is a conflict
between the Polish trio?

Do Robert and Kuba
really not like each other?

...alright, can you explain
these conflicts a bit?

Conflicts? But I don't have any.

Then, we'll remind you.
That's what we're here for.

You and Piszczek
don't really like each other.

I want to clarify
that that is not true.

Not true that you really
don't like each other?

So-called fake news.

- Fake news...
- Fake news.

Over the years,
there have been many myths

about Kuba Błaszczykowski,
Łukasz Piszczek and Robert Lewandowski

not liking each other.

We had a really close relationship,
and it was quite close

because Robert slept at my place
quite often

since he was alone in Germany
at that time.

In the first weeks, months,
Kuba and Łukasz helped me a lot.

I didn't know the language,

and I didn't know how to behave
sometimes.

We went to training together.

We drove to the national
team games together.

It's a bit weird and awkward
from my side

because I know
our paths started to diverge.

It has always been a mystery because
I can't specify what we argued about.

No, we didn't fall out with each other.
Why did we go our separate ways?

There were a few small things
that added up.

There weren't any major fights.

But we drifted apart a bit.

I might have made some mistakes.
I could have done something wrong.

I was young, and maybe
I didn't appreciate certain things

that I would appreciate now.

But I think at that time,
we weren't mature enough

to handle it properly,

and our egos...

were too big.

Looking back on our disagreements
in various situations,

I view it as a sort of youthful phase,

where each of us, being alpha males,

may have aimed to demonstrate
superiority in some form of rivalry.

It would be good if we could meet now
for coffee, for a beer.

We would get along fine.

But it never reflected
on our behaviour on the pitch.

It was always professional,
always a hundred per cent.

We understood each other,
sometimes without words,

through body language.

It helped us become one of the best
right sides in the Bundesliga

for a few years
and then later in the national team.

I recently got asked,

"What words do you remember the most
from a coach?".

I remember hearing coach Smuda say
"You will be the captain".

BŁASZCZYKOWSKI BECOMES CAPTAIN

It's genuinely a huge honour for me.

You are a person who represents
not only yourself

but probably the whole nation.

It was a dream come true.

It won't be easy for me.

We're really going
to celebrate something big.

The organiser of Euro 2012 is...

Poland.

I had a feeling early on
that we would be part of something big.

I'm sure that each one of us
did everything

to be as well-prepared as possible
for tomorrow's match.

Before this first match,
I remember that it was terribly stuffy.

It was so terribly hot in that stadium.

You could feel the tension,
the atmosphere in the air.

The National Stadium
is all in white and red.

In anticipation of the first whistle.

The best thing I remember
from that tournament

is definitely the National Stadium
in the first match

and our first half against Greece
because we played really good football.

We scored the first goal, with Robert
netting a header from my pass.

Błaszczykowski in his style!

Lewandowski! What a start!

Later, the Greek team got a red card.

We had the advantage.
It was 1:0 at halftime.

Salpingidis! Shame. 1:1.

Unfortunately,
we first conceded a goal,

and then Wojtek got a red card.

Szczęsny thrown out.

We could have lost that match.

Karagounis...

Tytoń! What a story!

The match ended 1:1.

Overall, it's okay,
1:1 in the first game.

And we fought on.

The second match was against Russia.

Our clashes with the Russians
always stir up additional emotions.

Before the match,
the atmosphere was really...

...tense.

One of the guys received a call
from his wife

- she was pregnant at the time -

and she said they were just dropped off
near the fans,

and they didn't know
if they would make it to the match.

I remember I took Konrad Paśniewski,
the manager,

and Filip Adamus,
who was a volunteer at the time,

to the side and I said,

"Listen, we need to locate these girls,
you have to bring them to the stadium."

We have to go into the match
knowing that everything is fine.

It's impossible to concentrate

when you know your child
or your pregnant wife is there.

And to concentrate on such a match
and play a hundred per cent,

you have to have a clear head.

Błaszczykowski!

Błaszczykowski! Yes! Yes!

Yes! Kuba Błaszczykowski!

I managed to get a perfect shot.

What happened there
was pure madness.

If they had opened the gate, I think
I would have flown out of that stadium.

What a goal!
Poland loves Błaszczykowski!

We remain in the game
to advance from the group.

CAPTAIN OFFERS HOPE
BEFORE THE MATCH WITH CZECHIA

A sports football team
also needs such moments

when there's a crisis
in order to draw lessons from it.

This last match is a do-or-die game,
and overall,

we are really well-prepared
for this match.

But in the meantime,
before all these games,

there were a few
organisational problems.

Before every game,
the same topic came up.

BŁASZCZYKOWSKI
ON THE TICKET SCANDAL

Players also have families
who want to come to the match,

and those tickets
need to be handed over.

There were arrangements.

Let's say there were ten tickets,
but it turns out there were six.

Between the second
and the third match,

the Polish FA president
came to our hotel, and I said,

"Sir, please have a talk
with the team and say,

'Listen, guys, it's like this and this.

You've got this and this.
Focus only on the game".

And I gathered the team.

We were waiting for him,
and he didn't show up.

Jiráček. Gives it a try...

Whoa...

\N
\N
I have no resentment
towards Kuba Błaszczykowski.

\N
\N
I realise this, I emphasise again
that they were also disappointed.

Coming in for five minutes
would have been enough.

It would have been settled.

This is not how it was supposed to be.
Not like this at all.

We are ending this Euro too early.

When the coach comes to me
on the day of the match with the Czechs

and asks if I have any spare tickets...

Come on...

I've already said,
I feel no resentment towards him.

If the next coach calls him up
to the squad,

and the players want him
to be the captain,

I have nothing against it.

Kuba was liked by everyone.

And he had earned that.

However, he wasn't always liked
by those who had an agenda.

Everything was organised very well.

However, it shouldn't be the case
that before each match,

we need to ask the Polish FA president

whether our families
can attend the game or not.

You know, the expectations are high,

but on the other hand,
you wanted to be here,

and now you have to take it
on the chin.

When I sum everything up, of course,
I first look at myself,

and I realise that I could have played
a bit better,

although I believe that we didn't have
a bad tournament as a team.

Defeats hurt. They hurt everyone.

I don't believe, however,

that you need to suffer
a crushing defeat to crave victory,

but... sometimes it helps.

Failure triggered
his internal adrenaline, commitment,

ambition and it kept him restless.

For him it was important
to feel needed

and it hurts him when he doesn't.

This was the case
when Mario Götze joined the team.

What an action by young Goetze.

He's secured a golden future
with this goal.

Kuba didn't play regularly
for about 2-3 weeks,

whereas before, he played continuously.

Now, this young lad appears,
17-18 years old,

and plays in the same position
on the right wing.

Later, Kuba was at the national team
training camp and gave an interview.

JAKUB BŁASZCZYKOWSKI CONSIDERS
DEPARTING FROM BORUSSIA DORTMUND

"SOMETIMES DECISIONS TO PART WAYS
BENEFIT BOTH PARTIES",

KUBA SAID IN AN INTERVIEW

Kuba then realised
that I'm not his best friend.

Usually, before training,
we all sat in our dressing room,

and the coach always sat in the middle.

The interview was in Polish,

so I asked him
then in front of the whole team,

"Perhaps the German journalists
translated your words incorrectly?

Say it out loud in front of everyone,
what's your problem."

I think Kuba said that the translation
from Polish to German

might have been wrong.

If you think Mario Götze
will play instead of you,

then that's how it will be.

If you think you'll play, you'll play.

I'm just watching.

It was before the Champions League
game,

I think against Olympique Marseille...

There are situations in your career

and in relationships
between players and coaches,

where sometimes, as a player,
you have to send a signal.

Can you do one thing for me?
If you score a goal...

...run to Klopp
and thank him for letting you play.

No, I won't do that.

Jurek says, believe me,
it will really help you.

Of course, I said I wouldn't do that.

He said over the phone
that he wouldn't do it.

6 DECEMBER 2011 BORUSSIA
VS OLYMPIQUE MARSEILLE

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, KUBA'S GOAL

When we turned to each other
after he scored a goal,

Dawid asked me: "Will he run?"

The coach was also really surprised
when I ran towards him.

He didn't believe
that Kuba would run to him.

But I ran.

But I also knew
that I wasn't easy to coach.

I think, even I'm sure,
that Kuba Błaszczykowski

as a coach

wouldn't be able to deal
with Kuba Błaszczykowski the player.

Anyone who follows the history
of BVB from 2008 to 2015 or 2013,

until the Champions League final,

knows for sure that Kuba Błaszczykowski
was absolutely a key player

in every success we achieved as a team.

I have such a kind of filter

that I tend not to remember
negative situations from my life.

I would prefer us to talk about victory
rather than defeat,

but it's part of the sport.

Kuba had a great chance
in the first half,

but we never know
how the situation on the pitch

will develop in the second half.

In the second half,
Bayern started to dominate

around the 60-70th minute.

We have ran out of energy and strength.

Nevertheless,
we achieved a significant success.

That's how it is when you're close
to making your dream come true,

you know what it cost you, but you...

couldn't fulfil that dream.

A loss is naturally
a painful experience in your career.

I could think to myself,

man, you played
in the Champions League final.

But no, I don't see it like that.

At that time, we thought, oh well,
not this final, perhaps the next one.

We all thought we had many years
ahead of us in this team,

and that we would manage to achieve
even bigger international success.

After the Champions League final,

I threw the medal somewhere,
I don't even know where it is.

Kuba can't handle losing.

But winners are like that.

I had very high expectations
after that Champions League final.

After those six months that we played,
I felt that I was in good form,

and it was probably January,
I remember it well.

And in the middle of the pitch,
it was wet,

and it was a bit drier on the side.

And I was running from the centre
to the side. I just felt...

He tore his ligament. It was like...

I remember when I came home,
and my wife opened the door,

and asked:
"What are we going to do now?"

Hang in there.

My God!

Look here, everything is fine.

Injuries that last long
are not an easy thing for athletes.

The toll it takes on your health,
nerves, your family is watching you,

you're frustrated
that you can't do what you love.

You come to the club, see the players,

change and go
for a rehabilitation massage,

while your friends are doing
what you love, going out on the pitch.

It lasts a week, two, a month,
two, three months.

You get frustrated,
you're boiling inside.

I treated the injury
as a period to work on my shortcomings.

Life is a collection of stories,
ideally good stories.

When someone my age looks back,

we see our successes,

in this case, those specific stories
I will never forget.

I will never forget Kuba, Dortmund.

This means that he left
a significant mark

on the history of Dortmund.

It delights me immensely.

When he steps onto the pitch tomorrow,
80,000 people will be watching him.

20 SEPTEMBER 2016, VFL WOLFSBURG
VS BORUSSIA DORTMUND

BVB FANS SAY GOODBYE TO KUBA

In football, there is also space
for nostalgia, in my opinion.

Lato is leaving, and there are at least
five candidates to take his place.

Boniek, of course,
doesn't like to lose.

I know Kuba, and I know how important
it was for him

and how important
the captain's armband was.

I always gave a hundred per cent
for the national team,

and it was the most important dream
of my life.

And I had to do a lot of hard work
along the way

for some people to understand that.

When I put it all together,
I knew what it was all about.

There's no problem with the captaincy.

And who is the captain?

I'm not surprised
that he was disappointed

with the whole situation
that unfolded in the national team.

He's strong, but it got to him.

It affected him emotionally,
internally, although he didn't show it.

I think he was aware of it.

Maybe I also wanted them
to start respecting me.

We are meeting with you

to present to you the new coach
of the Polish national team,

Adam Nawałka.

Kuba was certainly a good captain.

As far as my cooperation is concerned,

he was the captain
only in one or two matches.

The current captain,
Jakub Błaszczykowski,

is still recovering from an injury.

Robert Lewandowski
is his natural replacement.

This primarily results
from the number of appearances.

But as for any other changes,

if there is such a decision,
the players will be the first to know.

It probably wasn't his decision,
he had certain things imposed on him.

He didn't know how to handle it.

Sir, take it easy and focus
on preparing your Christmas presents.

You'll see that we won't have
this issue at all come March this year.

When this situation occurred,
he called,

said he would fly in
with the coach to talk, to settle this.

Actually, he's still on his way to me
because he hasn't arrived yet.

What mattered to me the most
was the way it was done.

Not the fact itself,
but how it was done.

We have observed Kuba
in Bundesliga matches many times,

and I have come to the conclusion

that it is still too early for Kuba
to return to the national team.

The coach came and said

that he would call me up
to the national team,

but I have to attend
a press conference.

I want to clarify
that there was no situation

where the condition for Kuba
to be called up

was to participate
in a press conference.

Of course, we talked to Kuba

because I want to know
the player's point of view.

From now on, if anything
is going to determine

whether I play
for the Polish national team,

it will only be my form and skills,
not whether I attend a conference.

There was a question

of whether Kuba would go
to a press conference,

with me and Robert,
there's nothing to hide here.

There was a lot of media narrative.

I know he had different assurances
from the coach

and read different information
in the press.

Then, it turned out
that these press reports

were more accurate

than what people associated
with the national team told him.

Yes, that's true.

In football you get a lot of stories,
people create conflicts,

analyse and interpret words spoken

to suit their own narrative
or interests.

And that's true, I agree with it
one hundred per cent.

I know a million situations like that.

Why?

I think that would be a good question

to ask the Polish FA president,
but unfortunately...

...the president writes on his Twitter
and social media

that he respects everyone,
well, I think not everyone.

Unfortunately,
he declined the interview.

What is your relationship
with journalists?

You say you respect everyone,
but do you remember such an interview?

Did you discuss
whether you should remain the captain?

Do you still want to be the captain
of the Polish national team?

When the ticket situation arose

and it was necessary
to face the journalists,

and take responsibility,
I always stood behind the team.

Even at the cost of damaging
my reputation.

It didn't matter to me.

There were things
of greater importance.

And that this whole machinery
later turned me into a scapegoat, fine.

The fact that he didn't like
journalists

stemmed from the fact

that those journalists
weren't fair to him.

He had the right
to feel a bit cornered.

For me, it was a really tough period.

I remember not being able to sleep,

constantly thinking about it.

I even asked myself,
standing in front of the mirror,

if I really was that bad.

Was I a good captain?

I don't know.

He had his personality,
his own opinions.

Whether he was talking
to the president of the Polish FA

or a journalist,
he just spoke his mind.

Knowing how things are,

should I pretend
that everything is fine?

He was always the captain,
even without the armband,

because his voice in the dressing room
was very important.

His words were really taken seriously
by the coaching staff.

Come on. Over here.

That's it.

The ball's played, will he make it?

I remember that,
before Euro 2016,

I said, "Coach, I think
the best thing we can do

is just forget about it."

In the end, we understood it all later,
even though it was as it was.

I realise the coach
also had difficult decisions to make.

It was tough for him too.

Mariusz!

Despite not being the captain later on,

the cooperation between me and Kuba

was really at very good.

He was an important figure
in terms of the team's strength.

Côte d'Azur, Nice, sunny France.

Milik, Arkadiusz Milik
receives the ball...

Jakub Błaszczykowski!

Again with his left foot,
like against Russia in 2012...

In a way, after that match,

we started to believe more
that we could achieve something.

Saint-Etienne,
fight for the quarterfinals,

with the Swiss in our way.

We knew that if we started well,

qualifying from the group stage
could be realistic, but...

We expected a really tough game.

And indeed, it was a tough game.

The stakes were a bit different
because the loser would be eliminated.

Dangerous! Fabiański, well done!

I remember that Fabian
defended incredibly in that game.

In this game,
we really had a lot of luck.

Grosicki. Grosicki to Błaszczykowski.

Błaszczykowski!

He found space to nutmeg Sommer.

We're in the lead!

I didn't hit the ball
as well as I wanted.

We were somewhat tragic heroes,
in the end.

Gosh, Shaqiri, fantastic!

We won the penalty shootout

and made history.

Great emotions, and this match
showed that we can go further.

We knew we were facing Portugal.

In this tournament, they had advanced
from the group stage with three draws.

GROUP C TABLE AND POINTS

One step away from a medal, focus
on our team Lewandowski, Błaszczykowski

versus Cristiano Ronaldo.

We're playing in the quarterfinals!

We started the game well,
scoring a goal for a 1:0 lead.

The cross for 1:0
and complete euphoria.

Robert Lewandowski!

What a start for the red and white!

Kuba congratulates
and 1:0 in the quarterfinals!

We had one or two more chances
to make it 2:0.

We missed that chance later.
Renato Sanches punished us.

Danger, a shot.
Unfortunately, we got caught.

In the second half, we were attacking
from the right, from the left.

And then the penalty shootout.

The fourth series
ends with the Poles.

That long way alone
to the eleventh metre...

Kuba.

I was very nervous then.

Just him and his thoughts.

Tension and belief.

Błaszczykowski.

With Switzerland, he scored.

And now?

He’s approaching the ball...
Błaszczykowski!

And then, when I joined the guys
in the middle,

I kept hoping that someone
from Portugal wouldn't score.

Let's not lose hope... Fabian, do it!

Quaresma. The end...

Portugal in the semi-finals.

Well, when it was over...

after that it was so, you know...
hard for me.

I still have that, I think it's going
to stay for the rest of my life

that situation and that penalty,

because it was one of the most
important situations in my life.

Someone had to be blamed
and held responsible

for our failure in those penalty kicks.

It ended up being me and also Kuba.

I went to him after the penalty,
he waved, went into the tunnel.

He turned off his phone.

I was flying back to Poland
early in the morning.

He didn't contact me.

I landed in Poland
and his phone was still off.

MARSEILLE 2016

He probably wasn't sleeping,
but then he went to bed,

and around noon, he called.

He sounded terrible.

We spent time together,

but more in silence, in...

...sadness.

Well, I messed it up.

There is still time to play
but not too much

considering that there are
championships every two years.

I wondered if it wasn't my last chance,

my chance to achieve something
with the national team.

They arrived at the airport.

That's when the idea came up for us
to welcome them at the airport,

to highlight that, if not for him,

the match with Portugal
wouldn't have taken place at all.

I don't remember much, but I think
they were singing "thank you".

Thank you! Thank you!

Now, looking back,
it was something wonderful.

So many fans waiting for us.

Kuba Błaszczykowski!
Kuba Błaszczykowski!

I talked to him later,
he was so disoriented.

He said, "How is it possible?
I'm coming back here as the guy

who crushed their dreams,

and they welcome me like this".

The local residents
wanted to welcome Kuba home.

It happened within two hours.

My cousin called.

My phone connected on speaker.

He said, "Agata,
I don't know what to do.

The police are here,
the fire department,

even some nuns want to come
and say goodbye to him".

I quickly turned off the phone.

He looked at me and said,
"What are you planning there?"

And I said: "Nothing, nothing.
Something is happening in Truskolasy".

We were taking photos
until half-past two or three.

What was interesting

was that people really came
from all over Poland.

So many people gathered

that we were afraid they wouldn't fit
in grandma's backyard.

Welcome home! Welcome home!

I remember when we entered
the backyard.

He just looked at all those people.

I consider it a moment to remember,
he started crying.

You could see that a weight
had been lifted off his shoulders.

A difficult experience.

In a positive sense,
but also emotionally.

I sincerely thank you all, really,
for the support.

It was very important to me.

Believe me, what happened today

will remain in my heart
for the rest of my life.

Thank you to my mom,

who is probably looking down on me.

I would also like to thank my dad
for passing on important values to me.

All things considered.

There were good moments, of course,
but there were also moments

that will probably stay with him
for the rest of his life.

As I look at it through the perspective
of the time that has passed,

with my own children in view,

I genuinely admire myself
for accomplishing it.

I assume that everyone's tragedy
is their own,

but on the other hand,
I feel responsible,

and I want the image of my family

to be authentic.

I wouldn't want to have
a single image of my father

who largely had problems with himself,
with his ambitions,

and couldn't cope with it.

I think he felt
that he could have achieved more,

and alcohol, combined with that
almost pathological ambition,

was a bit of an explosive mixture.

My father really gave me a lot
when I was young.

He played football with me,
and I enjoyed it when he was at home.

As for every little boy,
the father is a role model.

It was the same for me.

Perhaps my aggression later in life

also comes from the fact
that somewhere, my role model,

the person I looked up to,
had disappointed me so much.

We were sitting at our aunt's
in the evening,

and we got a phone call.

Auntie answered,
and suddenly she shouted...

...that Zygmunt had killed Hanka.

KUBA'S FATHER STABS HIS WIFE
TO DEATH WITH A KNIFE.

IN THAT MOMENT,
KUBA LOST BOTH HIS PARENTS.

That day was terrible.

The worst part is that I saw it all.

Oh, God...

It was a moment when...

I heard it and then ran out.

I remember it like it was yesterday,
I remember the smell of everything.

It was summer.

Dark.

The smell of milk. I remember.

Even after all this,

I thought my mom would get up.

I didn't believe it until the end.

I thought maybe, I don't know,
she's still in the hospital,

maybe they're saving her,
maybe... I don't know.

The worst thing was...

...when we were supposed
to go to the funeral.

And one more thing.

I can't say it.

It was... You know what it was?

"Give mom a kiss for the last time."

When your mother dies
in your arms, it's, damn...

Before all this happened,

we talked about how I always liked
when it rained.

I loved it when it rained.

To this day,
I sometimes play the sound of rain

and listen to it.

I liked to go out and sit and think
and talk when it rained.

And who were you talking to then?

With mom.

Although I think
it's a bit different now...

because I'm starting to like the sun.

ZYGMUNT BŁASZCZYKOWSKI DIED IN 2012
AFTER 5 YEARS IN PRISON

It often happened that, on Sundays,

I would get information
that he had done bad things.

Generally, in places like clubs,

where he had his group, his friends.

They told me, for example,
that yesterday there was a situation

where Kuba and his friend
Radzio or Paweł

roughed up someone's face.

I had so much
of those negative emotions in me.

But it was my way
of dealing with the whole world,

which I believed was unfair to me.

Because I hadn't done anything wrong,
but I was judged as if I had.

I was just glad that I knew
everything about it

so that I could prevent it.

And if I didn't,

and I heard about it from someone,

I taught him not to misbehave.

You know, when it comes to Jurek,
grandma, of course,

they played a crucial role
because they took care of us.

They took us in right away
and I felt cared for.

He feels bad that mom is not with us.

He talks about how happy she would be,
what a good life she would have.

Now, as an older person,

I try to focus more on why.

I'm searching more
for the reason behind all of this.

I don't want to create an image of him

solely based on one thing.

I would also like him to also be able
to be there peacefully.

Perhaps they are sitting together,
having coffee.

That's how I look at it.

Kuba kept to himself a lot.

Because of what he went through,
of course, throughout his life.

He once explained to me why that was.

He said he felt that despite
all the wonderful people around him,

who raised him,

he felt like he had to deal
with everything on his own.

It was a long,
painstaking and difficult job for me

to teach him that now I'm here for him,

and he doesn't have to deal
with everything alone.

And now...

I think that I received something
from people,

and I strive to do something good
for others as well.

You should never give up.

You have to believe in your dreams,
strive for them

and don't let anyone convince you
that you can't because I'm sure,

seeing you today,
seeing the energy you have,

sooner or later, you will succeed.

So please, don't let anyone
convince you

that you can't fulfil your dreams.

I wish you make all your dreams
come true,

and with the energy I saw today,
I'm sure you can do it.

I said that to the boys a few times
that if one of them gets rich,

he should come back to the club
that helped him, that trained him.

And who knows,
maybe Kuba remembered this

when he returned to Wisła
and started financing all of this.

More news coming to us from Kraków,
I think this is a very important thing.

For the last few weeks,
there has been a lot of talk

about the difficult period
Wisła Kraków is going through.

On the third, fourth of January
the manager calls me

and keeps telling me
that the clubs are waiting,

but they have to plan already,
they are starting preparations.

So I say, you can tell them
that I don't want to.

I'll try to do something here.

What will Kuba Błaszczykowski's
return to the Ekstraklasa look like?

I still can't wrap my head
around the fact

that a professional can play for free.

It seems to me that the club

was just a few hours or days away
from bankruptcy.

Kuba Błaszczykowski!

It was a rollercoaster of emotions.

Let's go, let's go, let's go!

You revived the club, and you rebuilt
the community around the club.

Damn, you have reasons to be proud.
Does it bother you?

BŁASZCZYKOWSKI'S HEART
BEATS FOR WISŁA KRAKÓW

BŁASZCZYKOWSKI'S GREAT RETURN
TO WISŁA... FOR FREE.

TRANSFER TO WISŁA KRAKÓW
AFTER MANY YEARS

Yes! Yes!

Wisła Kraków needed his financial help.

He was there for free,
helping this club.

That's a big gesture.

He's a legend, one hundred per cent.

Everyone says that about him.

Honestly speaking,
he works with integrity on the pitch,

and he's the same off the pitch.

When you're doing it all your life,
and suddenly it's gone...

When do you want to finish?

- But what?
- Playing.

- Playing what?
- Football.

- Oh, football?
- Yes.

...you always have that fight.

I said that there is this Kuba
who says one thing

and another Kuba
who says something else,

and I find myself in between them.

I knew that this decision
had been made,

but the closer it got to that moment,
these emotions changed.

There was a great sense of calm
around Kuba,

and it also affected me,
until he left for the training camp.

When I met Kuba in the national squad,

I felt that a person like that
had arrived

and I inside felt such a special...

Such an impulse,
such an emotion that... Excuse me?

- Butterflies in the stomach?
- You could say that.

I still need to control these emotions,
which won't be easy.

Then don't hold back.
Allow yourself to feel those emotions.

No, I know. It will be inevitable,
but I'm always like I'm...

I think it was that awareness

that this is the last time
with this team at the training camp.

Three days before the match,
these emotions, everything.

These are also expectations, people...

I haven't played for a long time,
I had an injury.

I had been injured
for almost two years,

and then I had to play against Germany.

I had big concerns
whether I could handle the task...

I even had concerns about
whether I would endure 16 minutes.

Stress?

- I mean, you know, emotions.
- Emotions, yes.

Whatever happens, happens, right?

I knew that, during this training camp,
he didn't feel like himself.

There were many young,
new players,

and just the conversation at the table,
how Kuba was on the pitch,

despite having recovered from an injury

and being a hundred per cent
healthy, I wanted to help him

because Kuba's presence alone
gave me this flow on the pitch.

I knew where he would play,
where he would run, how he would play.

You either have it or you don't.

We're glad we can be with you. Really.

You're amazing.

- All the best for you.
- An autograph?

This beautiful story of a great man,

though not without
its difficult moments,

a story of a fantastic footballer
comes to an end today.

16 June, isn't that
some kind of omen?

After all, sixteen is Kuba's
shirt number,

the number he played with
all the time.

A farewell to the national team,
until his last game in it,

and that against Germany, where,
after all, he spent his best years.

Błaszczykowski
back in the starting line-up

with the captain's armband...

His very last dance.

Jakub Błaszczykowski.

Kuba! Kuba!

Seventeen years since his debut.

Today, Kuba Błaszczykowski
plays for the national team

for the last time.

To this day, there are tears,
goosebumps, it's something fantastic...

Ladies and gentlemen,
let's remain standing.

Poland has not yet perished
So long as we still live

What the foreign force
Has taken from us

We shall with a sabre retrieve

March, march, Dąbrowski
From Italy to Poland

I lost a bit of health in this sport,

and now I would like to dedicate myself
more to my family,

which sacrificed a lot for me

because all our travels

were due to my professional choices,

and now I would like to focus more
on them than on myself.

I would also like to function normally,

without having problems with my knees,
feet, spine, hands, I don't know...

Simply to live.

He was supposed to play
just a few minutes today. Symbolic.

He just played sixteen.

He played fantastically
like in his best years.

Kuba is coming off for the last time.

For sure.

The last match
with the eagle on his chest.

What a moment.

Tears of emotion
not only on Kuba’s face.

And words of thanks,
nods to the national team supporters

who were always close to him.

And that characteristic
upward gaze of his,

up to the heavens.

Thank you, Kuba.

Thank you, Kuba, for everything.

He was shaking all over.

He hugged us, and Fabian,
who just looked at him,

said, "Dad, what's wrong?

What are you doing? Dad, calm down."

And he hugged us,
and I remember telling him:

"It's over, calm down."

Do we have some tissues?

Sandra, in the kitchen.

The ones with Mickey Mouse.

With Micky Mouse...

When I look back at my whole life

through all these experiences
that I've had…

Through all these experiences,
at how many sacrifices I've made,

how much health it all cost me…

With the knowledge that I have now,

would I have to go through it
all over again?

I think it would be much harder.

But if I met my younger self
on a street,

I think I would tell him,
you can do it.

I did, so will you.