Mateusz Andrzej Klich Bio
Mateusz Andrzej Klich, born on 13 June 1990 in Tarnów, Poland, is a Polish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Ekstraklasa club Cracovia. He began his professional journey with Cracovia and has built a wide-ranging career across Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, England, and the United States, with experience in competitions such as the Bundesliga, the Eredivisie, the EFL Championship, the Premier League, and Major League Soccer. Klich is recognized for his playmaking qualities, passing range, and set-piece delivery, and he has represented the Poland national team across multiple years.
Early Life and Background
Mateusz Andrzej Klich was born on 13 June 1990 in Tarnów, a city in southern Poland with a strong sporting tradition. Football was a central part of his upbringing, shaped by a family deeply connected to the game. His father, Wojciech Klich, was a professional footballer who made 84 appearances in the Polish first division and later worked as a youth coach at Cracovia, giving his son an early and grounded understanding of the professional game.
His mother, Małgorzata, brought an athletic background of her own to the household, working as a physical education teacher and having once won a bronze medal at the Polish championships in 800-metre freestyle swimming. His sister, Maja, is also a swimmer, completing a family environment in which multiple sports were encouraged. Standing at 1.83 metres tall, Klich developed as a central midfielder whose physical presence complemented his technical qualities.
Path to Professional Soccer
Klich came through the youth system at Cracovia, the club based in Kraków, and worked his way into the senior squad during the late 2000s. He made his Ekstraklasa debut in November 2008 and gradually established himself as a regular in Cracovia’s starting eleven during the 2009–10 season. His performances in Poland attracted the attention of Bundesliga clubs, and in June 2011, VfL Wolfsburg signed him on a three-year deal for a reported €1.5 million, a transfer that made him the most valuable player in Cracovia’s history at that time.
Mateusz Andrzej Klich Career
Early Career (2008–2014)
Klich’s first steps abroad came when he was sent on loan to Dutch side PEC Zwolle, a move that was later made permanent for a reported €200,000, with Wolfsburg retaining a repurchase option. At Zwolle, he enjoyed one of the defining moments of his early career, winning the 2013–14 KNVB Cup after a 5–1 victory over Ajax in the final on 20 April 2014, a result that also delivered Europa League qualification. After Wolfsburg exercised their repurchase clause in June 2014, Klich struggled to break into the Bundesliga side behind players such as Kevin De Bruyne, Josuha Guilavogui, and Luiz Gustavo, and featured mainly for the reserve team.
In January 2015, he joined 2. Bundesliga side 1. FC Kaiserslautern on a contract until summer 2018, before moving to Eredivisie club FC Twente in August 2016. At Twente, he was given squad number 43 and made his debut on 10 September 2016 against SC Heerenveen, scoring his first goal for the club on 2 October 2016 in a 1–1 draw with Heracles Almelo. He finished his first season with six goals and four assists, helping Twente to a seventh-place finish.
Leeds United Era (2017–2023)
On 23 June 2017, Klich signed a three-year deal with English club Leeds United for an undisclosed fee. He made his first-team debut in a 4–1 League Cup victory against Port Vale on 9 August 2017 and his League debut ten days later in a 2–0 win over Sunderland. His first season was difficult, and in January 2018 he was sent on loan to FC Utrecht in the Netherlands. At Utrecht, he rediscovered his form, registering an assist against Roda JC and creating 11 chances in a 2–2 draw with Heracles Almelo, the highest single-match tally in the Eredivisie since Christian Eriksen’s display for Ajax in 2012. He scored the winner in a 1–0 victory against VVV-Venlo on the final day of the 2017–18 season and helped Utrecht finish fifth and reach the Eredivisie Europa League playoffs.
Returning to Leeds for the 2018–19 season under new head coach Marcelo Bielsa, Klich became a central figure in midfield. He scored on the opening day against Stoke City in a 3–1 win, netted against Derby County and Norwich City, and was recalled to the Poland squad after a four-year absence. On 28 April 2019, he scored a controversial goal against Aston Villa, sparking a heated exchange with several opposition players and prompting Bielsa to instruct his team to allow Aston Villa to score an unchallenged equaliser. Klich played 50 matches in all competitions, scored 10 goals, and was Leeds’ only ever-present outfield player as they finished third and reached the Championship playoffs.
In November 2019, Klich signed a new four-and-a-half-year contract with Leeds and started every league game under Bielsa across 92 consecutive matches. He scored twice in a 4–0 win over Middlesbrough on 30 November 2019, earning the EFL Championship Goal of the Month award for November. After the season was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Klich helped Leeds win the 2019–20 EFL Championship title and earn promotion to the Premier League.
Klich made his Premier League debut on 12 September 2020 against Liverpool, scoring in a 4–3 defeat to the reigning champions, and added a goal and an assist in a 4–3 win over Fulham the following week. His final appearance for Leeds came on 4 January 2023, after which his teammates formed a guard of honour wearing shirts printed with Klich’s face as he departed for Major League Soccer.
MLS Move and Atlanta (2023–2025)
On 12 January 2023, Major League Soccer side D.C. United signed Klich to a two-year Designated Player contract, pending work visa approval. He scored on his debut under head coach Wayne Rooney in a 3–2 win against Toronto FC on 25 February, though D.C. United failed to qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs in either of his two seasons. On 20 December 2024, Klich was traded to Atlanta United in exchange for Atlanta’s first-round pick in the 2025 MLS Draft, but he was waived by the club on 21 July 2025 after a six-month spell.
Return to Cracovia (2025–Present)
On 13 August 2025, Klich agreed to join Cracovia on a two-year deal with an option for a third year, returning to the club where his professional career began fourteen years earlier. The move brought him back to the Ekstraklasa and reconnected him with his formative football roots in Poland.
Driving Style and Strengths
Klich is best known as a deep-lying playmaker with a strong passing range, intelligent movement off the ball, and reliable set-piece delivery. Across his time at Leeds United, he demonstrated tactical discipline and consistency under Marcelo Bielsa, becoming the team’s only ever-present outfield player in the 2018–19 Championship season.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among his most memorable moments are the 2013–14 KNVB Cup triumph with PEC Zwolle, the Bielsa-era promotion to the Premier League with Leeds in 2020, his Premier League debut goal against Liverpool, and his emotional guard-of-honour farewell at Elland Road in January 2023.
Mateusz Andrzej Klich Career Wins
Klich’s career highlights include the 2013–14 KNVB Cup with PEC Zwolle, the 2019–20 EFL Championship title with Leeds United, and his long run of appearances as a starter during Marcelo Bielsa’s tenure at Elland Road.
Leeds United Highlights
During his time at Leeds, Klich played a central role in the club’s return to the Premier League, scoring 10 goals in the 2018–19 season and starting every league game under Bielsa across 92 matches. He earned the EFL Championship Goal of the Month award for November 2019 and finished his Premier League debut campaign with notable contributions against Liverpool and Fulham.
Other Wins and Performances
Earlier in his career, Klich won the 2013–14 KNVB Cup with PEC Zwolle in a 5–1 victory over Ajax and produced a standout loan spell at FC Utrecht in 2017–18, where he helped the club finish fifth and qualify for the Eredivisie Europa League playoffs.
Mateusz Andrzej Klich Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Klich comes from a deeply sporting family. His father, Wojciech Klich, was a professional footballer who played 84 matches in the Polish first division and later worked as a youth coach at Cracovia. His mother, Małgorzata, is a physical education teacher and a former Polish championship bronze medallist in 800-metre freestyle swimming, while his sister Maja is also a swimmer.
Personal Life
On 6 November 2018, Klich’s partner gave birth to the couple’s first child, a daughter named Laura. At Leeds United, he was celebrated by supporters through a terrace song titled ’40 Yards or 50 Yards’, a reworked version of the song Rotterdam by The Beautiful South.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season began with Klich being traded to Atlanta United on 20 December 2024, but he was waived by the club on 21 July 2025 after a six-month spell in which he featured briefly in Major League Soccer. Following his release, Klich agreed to join Cracovia on 13 August 2025 on a two-year deal with an option for a third year, marking a return to the Ekstraklasa club where he first made his professional debut in 2008.
The move to Cracovia represents a homecoming after fourteen years abroad and provides the 35-year-old midfielder with the chance to contribute to the Polish top flight once again. His experience across multiple European leagues and in the Premier League positions him as a senior figure in the Cracovia squad for the remainder of the 2025–26 campaign.