Błaszczykowski wrestles with demons in autobiography
PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge
02.06.2015 14:01
Former captain of Poland's football team Jakub Błaszczykowski has launched his autobiography, a book that revives painful memories from his past.
Jakub Błaszczykowski with co-author Małgorzata Domagalik. Photo: PAP/Bartłomiej Zborowski
As a 10-year-old boy, Błaszczykowski's mother was stabbed to death by his father and the latter was then given a 15-year prison sentence.
“There were requests in the past about a book, but I wasn't ready psychologically to do it,” Błaszczykowski has said.
The current volume, entitled 'Kuba', was co-written with journalist Małgorzata Domagalik, and the footballer describes finding his dying mother after his father fled the house.
The future Polish captain was brought up by his grandmother after his mother's death.
The grandmother recalls that “for a long time, when he sat at the table with a knife and fork, he would say that that knife was for his father when he gets out of jail.”
Błaszczykowski debuted in Poland's U19 side in 2004, going on to play in the U21 team. In March 2006 he played in Poland's national side, going on to captain the team during Euro 2012.
He has been out of action since 2014 owing to an injury, and Robert Lewandowski took over the captaincy in December 2014. (nh)