Krzysztof Warzycha

The Greek football league's all time leading scorer.

Krzysztof (Christof) Warzycha - born November 17, 1964 - has been an outstanding servant to Panathinaikos FC ever since he joined from KS Ruch Chorzów in 1989. He is the club's all-time leading goalscorer and the highest in the history of Greek football.

At the end of the 2000/01 season, Warzycha had scored an incredible 235 goals in 352 matches and had been the Hellenic National League's top scorer in three different years in the 90s (1994, 1995 and 1998 seasons). His appearances in the UEFA Champions League have been no less impressive - he scored six goals in Panathanaikos nine games on the way to the semi-finals of the 1995/96 competition.

No. 9 for PAO

On the 29th of April, 2001 during the match with Ionikos, Krzysztof Warzycha succeeded the 233rd goal of his career in Greece and reached Mimis Papaioannou at the second place of the scorers of all times. After two football periods Krzysztof succeeded the 234rd goal and remained alone at the second place of the scorers. Warzycha has scored an incredible total 235 goals in 352 matches and has been the Hellenic National League's top scorer in three different years in the late 90s. His appearances in the UEFA Champions League have been no less impressive - he scored six goals in Panathanaikos nine games on the way to the semi-finals of the 1995-1996 competition.

Such have been Warzycha's achievements on the pitch and services to Greek football that he was granted Greek citizenship in 1998.

See also

• Football: All Time Scorers

Krystof Warzycha 1989-2004

Words are too poor to descide Warzycha's contribution to Panathinaikos. He came unknown one afternoon in December 1989 from Ruch Horzof and at the airport the only people that greated him was the PAO management. PAO at that time was looking for a clas striker to compliment Dimitris Saravakos and when he was singed most fans did not expect much from this unknown 26 year old Pole. Giorgos Vardinogiannis, the PAO owner at that time trusted the words or Kazimir Gorski, a Polish coach who had won the double with PAO in 76/77 but also coached Olympiakos with great success too, saying to Vardinogiannis "Take Warzycha to PAO. You won't regret it".

Over the years he was to form lethal parternships with Dimitris Saravakos and Juan Jose Borelli bringing PAO fans to their feet countless times.

Warzycha debuted against AEK coming on as a sub in a 0-0 draw but was to break his duck in the next game vs Appolo Athens at Rizoupoli. 8 years later it would be the same ground where he would break Antonis Antoniadis' all-time goal scoring record.

Krystof Warzycha has set goal scoring records at PAO which may never be broken. He scored 244 league goals, just 16 short of AEK's Thomas Mavros' 260 which is the most ever making Warzycha 2nd top goalscorer of all time. This is already a massive feat, but what makes it bigger is the fact Warzycha only came to PAO at 26.

His greatest moment was in the 95-96 season where with PAO he reached the semi-final of the CL scoring in PAO's 1-0 victory vs the Great Ajax team of the mid-90's. He scored 6 goals in that campaign for PAO.

Krystof has been honoured many times. Not only by PAO and it's fans, but from the opposition too. One of the biggest honours was being awarded a plaque by International Federation of History and statistics for being the 3rd highest scorer of all time still active in 2002-03 season.

But possibly his greatest ever ovations where at Olympiakos' Karaiskaki in 1994-95 season when he was subbed and given a standing ovation by PAO's bitter rivals as he was by the fans of AEK in the 1997-98 season when he was again subbed and given a standing ovation from the AEK faithful at the Nikos Goumas Stadium.

Years at PAO: 15 - League honours: 5 - Greek Cup Honours: 5 - League games: 397 - League goals: 244 - Greek Cup goals: 51 - European games/goals:63/28 - International Caps/goals(Poland):50/9