Rafał Janicki

Rafał Janicki scored on his debut for Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała in January 2021, and the goal against Legia Warszawa got his new side over the line. It was the winner. The centre-back had joined from Lechia Gdańsk's orbit.

That decade began early. Janicki came to Lechia from Chemik Police in 2010 and made his league debut on 20 November of that year against Widzew Łódź. He stayed with the Gdańsk club until 2017, when he went on loan to Lech Poznań. Much of his time there was spent with the reserves, Lech Poznań II, and he was part of the side that won the III liga's group II in 2018–19.

Janicki also went through the Polish youth system: 8 caps for the under-19s, 2 for the under-20s and 14 for the under-21s, with one goal. He was called up to the senior squad in 2014/15 but did not make an appearance.

Górnik Zabrze signed him as a free agent on 16 July 2021, and the arrangement has lasted. His contract now runs to 2027. Janicki has played more than 400 Ekstraklasa matches, which put him in the league's Klub 300 as its 92nd member. He reached the 400 mark against Cracovia. His 2023–24 season earned a place among the nominees for the Ekstraklasa Team of the Season.

The biggest honour of his career so far came with Górnik, who won the Polish Cup in 2025–26.