Klimala Dedicates 10th Goal to Late Grandmother: 'Focused for the Team'

Patryk Klimala, the Polish striker for FC Seoul in K League 1, dedicated his 10th goal of the season to his late grandmother.

Klimala started in the 2026 Hana Bank K League 1 Round 25 home match against Bucheon FC held at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 25th and found the back of the net four minutes into the second half.

During a corner kick situation, a mid-range shot by Seoul's Choi Jun deflected off the bodies of Bucheon and Seoul players and rolled right in front of Klimala, who was lurking on the right side of the goal area.

Klimala did not miss the opportunity, firing a right-footed shot into the net.

He then dropped to his knees and pointed his finger toward the sky in celebration.

Seoul successfully warded off Bucheon's intensifying attacks past the middle of the second half, securing a 1-0 victory and extending their winning streak to three games.

Speaking to the broadcaster in a post-match interview, Klimala was teary-eyed.

"I am happy that we won. I am feeling very emotional today. My grandmother passed away two days ago so I had a very tough three days, but I tried to stay focused during the match for the team," he said.

When asked if he had anything to say to his grandmother, he kept his words brief, saying, "I think I would burst into tears if I spoke in front of the camera."

Entering the press room, when asked about his celebration, Klimala remarked, "Since it is bound to be a very emotional topic, I don't want to talk about it much more, but I am glad I could give my grandmother in heaven the gift of a goal."

He calmly answered questions regarding the match itself.

Reflecting on the game, Klimala said, "We knew Bucheon would defend very deep, so we constantly talked with my teammates to lead the match calmly. I think we slowed down our pace a bit after the 70th minute and gave Bucheon two or three chances. However, I am happy because we ultimately earned three points."

He did not attach much significance to the fact that this goal marked his 10th of the season and his third consecutive scoring match against Bucheon.

"We won all three matches against Bucheon, but none of them were easy. Against teams that defend deep like Bucheon, a forward might only get one chance," Klimala emphasized. "I am just happy that I could focus on that single opportunity to score and lead the team to victory."

He continued, "I had a long injury. It probably wasn't easy for a big club like Seoul to keep believing in a player who was out with an injury for a long time, but every member believed in me and waited. I wanted to repay that trust. I am glad that I scored 10 goals and that the team is currently running in first place thanks to that."

FC Seoul manager Kim Gi-dong is always cautious when reporters ask about their chances of winning the championship.

However, Klimala was different.

"I am completely opposite to the manager. It is no secret that we are fighting for the championship. I am confident that we will maintain the lead until the end of the season," he said. "The points gap so far did not fall from the sky; it is the result of hard work by the manager, the squad, and all the staff. I think we deserve to talk about the championship."

(Photo courtesy of Korea Professional Football League, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.