Emilia Szymczak, Poland's other Barcelona superstar

When Poland face their first ever major tournament match against Germany on Friday night, most eyes will be on Barcelona's Ewa Pajor, but the striker isn't the only Catalonia-based star in the squad..

Poland take their first steps into major tournament football on Friday night and couldn’t have asked for a tougher task in the shape of the European Championships’ most dominant side – Germany.

But it’s a well-earned spot and several of Poland’s players in fact play their domestic in the German Bundesliga, such has been the development of the women’s game in Poland in recent years, allowing key names to work their way into some of the continent’s strongest domestic leagues.

The main one, striker Ewa Pajor, passed through the Bundesliga, starring at Wolfsburg to such extent Barcelona signed her last summer, a true marker now of being a top player.

But within the Poland it is not just the more established Pajor currently playing their football with the Catalan club, but her prodigy is lesser-known right now, primarily playing her football for the club’s ‘B’ team.

That player is Emilia Szymczak.

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Szymczak only turned 19 last month but has become well established since making her senior Poland debut at the end of 2023, currently holding 11 senior caps for her country, plus many more at youth level.

The midfielder actually joined Barcelona 12 months prior to her national team captain from Polish Ekstraliga side Górnik Łęczna, three-time Polish champions.

Coached at the time by Robert Makarewicz, he recalls clearly the first time he set eyes on her during a youth camp while she was playing for Zaki Szczecin.

“The first time I saw her was during a training event at the Polish Football Association where I was a co-coach,” recalls Makarewicz. “She showed herself as a sincere, open and knowledge-hungry player who was already playing at a higher level than her colleagues in the same age group.