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Academy

The Goalkeepers Federation Academy in Warsaw. Training all year round under the watchful eye of Wojciech Kowalewski, who kept goal for Poland himself.

Fill in the application form A to Z of goalkeepers

Keepers train differently

We’re setting up a place in Warsaw where young goalkeepers will train regularly, all year round, not just from one camp to the next.

Wojciech Kowalewski oversees the Academy, with coaches from the Masovia region making up the rest of the staff.

How to apply

  1. Application form

    A parent fills in a short form on the ProTrainUp platform. This is the first stage, open from 15 October.

    Apply now

  2. Second stage of recruitment

    Everyone who fills in the form can take part in the second stage. We’re planning it for January 2027.

  3. Training begins

    We’ll announce the venue, groups and times together with the recruitment results.

Saving a ball along the ground
Young keepers sitting on the turf during a break
A coach kneels beside the group, talking through a drill
A smiling girl in an orange top at the camp
A drill in pairs on the pitch

1 / 5

The history of Polish goalkeeping

More than a century, from the national team’s first match in 1921 to the penalty saved from Messi in Qatar.

  1. 1921

    The first match

    In Poland’s very first international, on 18 December 1921 in Budapest, Jan Loth was in goal. Poland lost 1⁠-⁠0 to Hungary.

  2. 1938

    Against Brazil

    At the World Cup in France, Edward Madejski kept goal against Brazil in Strasbourg. Poland lost 6⁠-⁠5 after extra time.

  3. 1973

    Wembley

    On 17 October, Jan Tomaszewski stopped England at Wembley. The 1⁠-⁠1 draw sent Poland to the World Cup.

  4. 1974

    Two penalty saves, one tournament

    At the World Cup in West Germany, Jan Tomaszewski saved two penalties. No one had done that at a single World Cup before. Poland finished third.

  5. 1987

    European Cup

    Józef Młynarczyk won the European Cup with FC Porto. The Polish Football Association later named him goalkeeper of the century.

  6. 2005

    Istanbul

    In the Champions League final, Jerzy Dudek denied Shevchenko twice in extra time, then saved two penalties. Liverpool beat AC Milan.

  7. 2006

    World Cup in Germany

    Artur Boruc played every minute of Poland’s three World Cup matches, and after the game against Germany he was congratulated by President Lech Kaczyński.

  8. 2015

    Women’s Champions League final

    Katarzyna Kiedrzynek became the first Polish player to appear in a Women’s Champions League final. Two years later she did it again.

  9. 2016

    The Euros in France

    Łukasz Fabiański took over in goal from the second match of the tournament and stayed there all the way to the quarter-final against Portugal.

  10. 2022

    Messi’s penalty

    At the World Cup in Qatar, Wojciech Szczęsny saved two penalties, including one from Lionel Messi.

See them all in the A to Z

The A to Z of Polish goalkeepers

From Jan Loth in 1921 to the keepers playing in the big leagues today. Every one of them left their mark. We won’t let them be forgotten.

5capsGK
Pioneers
Jan Loth

Jan Loth

Debut
1921
Clubs
3
Born
1900

Polonia Warszawa

Jan LothPioneers

He is the only Polish footballer to have played for the national team both in goal and outfield. He was called up for Poland’s very first international, against Hungary in 1921.

  • In goal and outfield
  • Poland’s first match, 1921
  • Polish runner-up 1926

Korona Warszawa, Polonia Warszawa, Pogoń Katowice

Photo: author unknown, public domain, Wikimedia Commons, cropped, background removed, Wikipedia (Polish)

63capsGK
Eagles
Jan Tomaszewski

Jan Tomaszewski

Debut
1971
Clubs
6
Born
1948

ŁKS Łódź

Jan TomaszewskiEagles

At the 1974 World Cup he became the first goalkeeper in history to save two penalties at a single tournament. Before that, in 1973, he had stopped England at Wembley.

  • World Cup bronze 1974
  • Olympic silver 1976
  • Belgian Cup 1979

Gwardia Wrocław, Śląsk Wrocław, Legia Warszawa, ŁKS Łódź, Beerschot VAC, Hércules Alicante

Photo: Hans Peters for Anefo, CC0, Wikimedia Commons, cropped, background removed, Wikipedia (Polish)

42capsGK
Eagles
Józef Młynarczyk

Józef Młynarczyk

Debut
1979
Clubs
6
Born
1953

FC Porto

Józef MłynarczykEagles

In 1987 he won the European Cup with FC Porto, the second Pole to do so after Zbigniew Boniek. The Polish Football Association named him its goalkeeper of the century.

  • European Cup 1987
  • Goalkeeper of the century
  • World Cup bronze 1982

Dozamet Nowa Sól, BKS Stal Bielsko⁠-⁠Biała, Odra Opole, Widzew Łódź, SC Bastia, FC Porto

Photo: Ja Fryta from Strzegom, CC BY⁠-⁠SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons, cropped, background removed, Wikipedia (Polish)

60capsGK
New wave
Jerzy Dudek

Jerzy Dudek

Debut
1998
Clubs
5
Born
1973

Liverpool

Jerzy DudekNew wave

His save in extra time of the 2005 final in Istanbul was named the most memorable moment in Champions League history. Liverpool beat AC Milan on penalties.

  • Champions League 2004/2005
  • Title with Real Madrid
  • World Cup 2002

Concordia Knurów, Sokół Tychy, Feyenoord, Liverpool, Real Madrid

Photo: Ja Fryta from Strzegom, CC BY⁠-⁠SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons, cropped, background removed, Wikipedia (Polish)

65capsGK
New wave
Artur Boruc

Artur Boruc

Debut
2004
Clubs
5
Born
1980

Celtic

Artur BorucNew wave

At the 2006 World Cup he played every minute of all three of Poland’s games. President Lech Kaczyński congratulated him on his display against Germany.

  • Oldest Ekstraklasa champion
  • 3 Scottish titles
  • Euro 2008 and 2016

Legia Warszawa, Celtic, Fiorentina, Southampton, Bournemouth

Photo: Goalkeepers Federation, Wikipedia (Polish)

57capsGK
New wave
Łukasz Fabiański

Łukasz Fabiański

Debut
2006
Clubs
4
Born
1985

West Ham

Łukasz FabiańskiNew wave

At Euro 2016 he took over from the injured Wojciech Szczęsny for the game against Germany and stayed in goal all the way to the quarter-final against Portugal.

  • FA Cup 2013/2014
  • Conference League 2023
  • 5 tournaments with Poland

Legia Warszawa, Arsenal, Swansea City, West Ham United

Photo: Goalkeepers Federation, Wikipedia (Polish)

11capsGK
New wave
Wojciech Kowalewski

Wojciech Kowalewski

Debut
2002
Clubs
6
Born
1977

Legia Warszawa

Wojciech KowalewskiNew wave

In June 2008 Leo Beenhakker called him up for Euro 2008 in place of the injured Tomasz Kuszczak. With Shakhtar Donetsk he won the Ukrainian title and the Ukrainian Cup.

  • Euro 2008
  • Polish champion 2001/2002
  • Four years at Spartak

Legia Warszawa, Shakhtar Donetsk, Spartak Moscow, Korona Kielce, AÓ Iraklís, Sibir Novosibirsk

Photo: Goalkeepers Federation, Wikipedia (Polish)

84capsGK
New wave
Wojciech Szczęsny

Wojciech Szczęsny

Debut
2009
Clubs
5
Born
1990

Juventus

Wojciech SzczęsnyNew wave

At the 2022 World Cup he saved two penalties, one of them from Lionel Messi. Having announced his retirement in 2024, he came back to play for FC Barcelona.

  • Poland’s most capped keeper
  • 3 Serie A titles
  • 6 tournaments with Poland

Arsenal, Brentford, AS Roma, Juventus, FC Barcelona

Photo: La Gazzetta dello Sport, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons, cropped, background removed, Wikipedia (Polish)

64capsGK
Women
Katarzyna Kiedrzynek

Katarzyna Kiedrzynek

Debut
2009
Clubs
4
Born
1991

Paris Saint⁠-⁠Germain

Katarzyna KiedrzynekWomen

In 2015 she became the first Polish woman to play in a Women’s Champions League final, which PSG lost 2⁠-⁠1 to 1. FFC Frankfurt.

  • 2 Champions League finals
  • 3 Player of the Year awards
  • Poland captain

Motor Lublin, Górnik Łęczna, Paris Saint⁠-⁠Germain, VfL Wolfsburg

Photo: Roger Gor, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons, cropped, background removed, Wikipedia (Polish)

32capsGK
Eagles
Hubert Kostka

Hubert Kostka

Debut
1962
Clubs
2
Born
1940

Górnik Zabrze

Hubert KostkaEagles

With Górnik Zabrze he won eight Polish titles and played in the European Cup Winners’ Cup final. In 1972 he became Olympic champion in Munich.

  • Olympic gold 1972
  • 8 Polish titles
  • 6 Polish Cups

Unia Racibórz, Górnik Zabrze

Photo: Sławek, CC BY⁠-⁠SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons, cropped, background removed, Wikipedia (Polish)

53capsGK
After the war

Edward Szymkowiak

Debut
1952
Clubs
4
Born
1932

Polonia Bytom

Edward SzymkowiakAfter the war

In 1960 he saved three penalties in a match against Górnik Zabrze. His Poland career spanned 13 years and 125 days from first cap to last.

  • Rappan Cup 1965
  • 5 Polish titles
  • 4 Złote Buty awards

Ruch Chorzów, GWKS Bielsko, Legia Warszawa, Polonia Bytom

Illustration (no freely licensed photo), Wikipedia (Polish)

21capsGK
Pioneers
Spirydion Albański

Spirydion Albański

Debut
1931
Clubs
5
Born
1907

Pogoń Lwów

Spirydion AlbańskiPioneers

From 9 November 1930 to 20 August 1939 he played 174 league games in a row, a run bettered only once in the history of the Polish top flight.

  • 174 games in a row
  • Olympics 1936
  • Polish runner-up 3 times

Pogoń Lwów, Dynamo Lviv, Spartak Lviv, Resovia, Pogoń Katowice

Photo: author unknown, domena publiczna, Wikimedia Commons, cropped, background removed, Wikipedia (Polish)

Data from the Polish Wikipedia, as of October 2026. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, with author and licence on the back of every card. Founders’ portraits: Goalkeepers Federation.

Glossary

The language spoken in goal and in the dressing room. From saves to penalties.

01

basket catch

for balls at stomach height

basket catch

Your hands come under the ball, your forearms close together and the ball ends up against your chest. A safe catch for shots that come in close to the body.

for balls at stomach height

02

clean sheet

a match with no goals conceded

clean sheet

The simplest stat a goalkeeper has, and the one that’s remembered longest. On our site, a little scoreboard in the corner of the screen keeps count.

a match with no goals conceded

03

coming off your line

in the dressing room: come or stay

coming off your line

A decision with no middle ground. You come out and close the distance, or you stay and cover the angle. The worst place to be is halfway, in no man’s land, because then you lose both battles at once.

in the dressing room: come or stay

04

dive at full stretch

in Polish: robinsonada, after Jack Robinson, a keeper around 1900

dive at full stretch

A flight across the goal, one arm stretched to the very limit of your reach. The photo that makes the papers. Coaches want as few of them as possible, because each one means your positioning let you down first.

in Polish: robinsonada, after Jack Robinson, a keeper around 1900

05

goalmouth

the area in front of goal

goalmouth

The six-yard box and the space around it. A keeper who commands the goalmouth claims crosses before anyone else can get to them.

the area in front of goal

06

kick from hand

restarting play

kick from hand

Kicking the ball from your hands. Fast and long, when the team wants to get it straight up the other end.

restarting play

07

last line of defence

there’s nobody behind you

last line of defence

The keeper is the last player in front of goal. A defender’s mistake can still be put right. A keeper’s mistake goes straight up on the scoreboard.

there’s nobody behind you

08

narrowing the angle

coming out towards the shooter

narrowing the angle

A step towards the ball, along the line that joins it to the centre of the goal. The closer you are to the ball, the less of the goal the striker can see.

coming out towards the shooter

09

penalty

12 yards, 396 milliseconds

penalty

At 100 km/h the ball takes 396 milliseconds to get there. A pro needs about 300 to react, which leaves less than 100 for the movement itself. That’s why keepers don’t guess. They read the taker.

12 yards, 396 milliseconds

10

positioning

the arc you walk all game

positioning

You don’t stand in the middle of the goal but on the line that splits the angle in two, moving along an arc. Good positioning takes away half the goal before the striker has even hit the ball. It’s a save nobody will ever count.

the arc you walk all game

11

punching

clearing with your fists

punching

When a cross is too powerful or drops into a crowd, you don’t catch it, you punch it. The rule is as old as the game: height, distance and width, never straight out in front.

clearing with your fists

12

safe hands

in the dressing room: hold it

safe hands

The hardest thing in goalkeeping looks like the easiest. The ball has to die in your hands without bouncing out even a centimetre, because there’s always someone in the box waiting for the rebound.

in the dressing room: hold it

13

save

from the Late Latin salvare, to make safe

save

Any successful stop. One number in the stats, but two things in reality: the footwork nobody sees and the hand everybody sees.

from the Late Latin salvare, to make safe

14

tipping over the bar

lifting the ball over the goal

tipping over the bar

The shot is heading just under the crossbar. With an open hand you lift its path a few centimetres, and the whole save comes down to those few centimetres.

lifting the ball over the goal

15

tipping round the post

in the dressing room: out for a corner

tipping round the post

You can’t catch it, so you change its flight. With your fingertips you send it round the post and give away a corner instead of a goal. The cheapest deal in the game.

in the dressing room: out for a corner

16

W catch

for balls at head height

W catch

Your thumbs and index fingers form a W behind the ball. Your hands are close together, so the ball can’t slip through between them.

for balls at head height

Spain camps: book now

Night is the default theme. Day is lighter and works well in sunshine.