After 20 years, veteran Polish striker Marcin Robak has confirmed his retirement from the sport. The nine-time Polish international, who celebratez his 40th birthday today (Tuesday), announced his decision on social media.
“Today, I officially end my career”, Robak confirmed on a Facebook post. The striker last played professionally at Widzew Łódź, during the 2020/21 season.
Robak made his senior debut at hometown club Miedź Legnica back in 2002, before going on to make his Ekstraklasa debut four years later with Korona Kielce. A stint at Widzew followed, before a move to Turkiye saw him make almost fifty appearances for Konyaspor.
It was upon Robak’s return to Poland where he really hit his peak – notably during the 2013/14 season, where his one goal for Piast Gliwice, followed by 21 for Pogoń Szczecin, earned him the Ekstraklasa Golden Boot.
An unsuccessful stint in China, with Guizhou Renhe, lasted only a few months; and before long he was back on the goal trail in Szczecin. During the 2016/17 season he claimed another Golden Boot – this time whilst at Lech Poznań (and shared with Marco Paixao, the man he pipped three years earlier). Although he was unable to complete a hat-trick, his 37 goals in two seasons for Śląsk Wrocław, between 2017-2019, ensured he remained close to the top of the charts.
With a first-half penalty for Śląsk against Lechia Gdańsk, on 39 April 2019, Robak claimed his 100th Ekstraklasa goal – enshrining his name among legendary Polish strikers such as Ernest Pohl and Włodzimierz Lubański. By the end of his top-flight career, at the end of the 2018/19 season, he had amassed a total of 120 goals – placing him 14th on the list of Polish top-tier goalscorers, above the likes of Henryk Reyman, Grzegorz Lato and Ernest Wilimowski.
Marcin made his international debut for Poland in January 2010, against Denmark on a winter tour South-East Asia. He scored his only goal with the Eagle on his chest three days later, in a 3-1 win over hosts Thailand. His ninth and final game for the Reprezentacja came in 2014, in a friendly draw against Germany in Hamburg.
Piłka.uk would like to extend their best wishes to Marcin for the future.
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