Kamil Glik (foto: uradna spletna stran kluba)
Kamil Glik has officially become a new player of Cracovia, The Polish defender is returning to the PKO BP Ekstraklasa after 13 years.
The 35-year-old did not extend his contract with Benevento, with whom he was relegated to Serie C in the previous season. Since July 1st, he has been without a club, and personal reasons have influenced his decision to return to Poland.
Since the beginning of July, the Polish player has been seeking new job opportunities. Glik was offered to clubs like Legia Warsaw. However, the Polish vice-champion did not decide to hire the experienced defender due to sports, rather than financial, reasons.
Glik had offers from Serie B, but from smaller towns. For the last three years, he had been away from his family. The player
lived in Benevento, while his wife and children lived 100 km away in Naples. This allegedly negatively affected the defender. He decided to stay in Italy but in a big city.
However, he didn't have that possibility, which is why he returned to Poland. Here, he also aimed for larger cities, which is related to his children's education, hence the attempts to anchor himself in Legia or negotiations with Widzew. Ultimately, he ended up in Krakow.
For the 35-year-old, this marks a return to the domestic league after 13 years. The last time he played on Polish fields was in 2010 wearing the colors of Piast Gliwice. From there, he moved to Italy, where he played for Palermo, Bari, and Torino, where he was the captain. After a successful Euro 2016, he was acquired by AS Monaco, with whom he reached the semi-finals of the Champions League in the 2016/17 season and won the French Ligue 1.
Glik has appeared in the Polish national team 103 times. He is currently overlooked by the national team selector Fernando Santos. His last match in the white and red jersey was at the end of 2022 during the World Cup in Qatar. He played in the Round of 16 against France (1:3).