Włodzimierz Smolarek

Włodzimierz Smolarek
Personal information
Full nameWłodzimierz Smolarek
Date of birth16 July 1957
Place of birthAleksandrów Łódzki, Poland
Date of death7 March 2012 (aged 54)
Place of deathAleksandrów Łódzki, Poland
Height1.71 m (5 ft 7 1⁄2 in)
Playing positionStriker
Youth career
Włókniarz Aleksandrów Łódzki
1973–1976Widzew Łódź
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1976–1977Widzew Łódź0(0)
1978Legia Warsaw18(4)
1979–1986Widzew Łódź181(61)
1986–1988Eintracht Frankfurt63(13)
1988–1990Feyenoord43(12)
1990–1996Utrecht150(33)
Total455(123)
National team
1980–1992Poland60(13)
Teams managed
2000–2009Feyenoord (youth)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Włodzimierz Smolarek (16 July 1957 – 7 March 2012) was a Polish footballer who played as a striker.

He played most of his 20-year professional career with Widzew Łódź and Utrecht, appearing in more than 200 official games for the former. He amassed Eredivisie totals of 193 matches and 45 goals, over the course of eight seasons.

Smolarek represented Poland in two World Cup, gaining 60 caps.

Club career

Born in Aleksandrów Łódzki, Smolarek played for Widzew Łódź and Legia Warsaw in his country, winning the Ekstraklasa championship with the former in 1981 and 1982, as well as the 1985 Polish Cup. During four years of his spell at Widzew he shared teams with legendary Zbigniew Boniek, scoring one of his team's goals in a 2–3 away loss against Liverpool for the 1982–83 European Cup and helping it reach the semi-finals 4–3 on aggregate.

In 1986, aged 29, Smolarek was allowed to leave the Iron Curtain nation, starting with Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga where he won the German Cup in his second season, playing the full 90 minutes in the 1–0 win against VfL Bochum. He retired at 39 after eight years in the Netherlands, with Feyenoord and FC Utrecht, then went on to work with the first as youth coach for nearly one decade.

International career

Smolarek made his debut for the Polish national team on 12 October 1980 in a 1–2 friendly loss in Argentina. Over the next 12 years he appeared in a further 59 internationals, being selected for the squads at two FIFA World Cups: in 1982 he helped the country finish third in Spain, scoring the opener in a 5–1 first group stage routing of Peru. Four years later, celebrating his 50th appearance, he netted the only goal in the group phase contest against Portugal (his 12th and penultimate) in an eventual round-of-16 exit.[1]

In October 2009 Smolarek was hired by the Polish Football Association, to oversee the national side's youth program.[2]

Smolarek behind the Polish flag

International goals

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 7 December 1980 Empire Stadium, Gżira, Malta  Malta 0–1 0–2 1982 World Cup qualification
2. 10 October 1981 Zentrastadion, Leipzig, East Germany  East Germany 0–2 2–3 1982 World Cup qualification
3. 10 October 1981 Zentrastadion, Leipzig, East Germany  East Germany 1–3 2–3 1982 World Cup qualification
4. 15 November 1981 Olympic Stadium, Wrocław, Poland  Malta 2–0 6–0 1982 World Cup qualification
5. 15 November 1981 Olympic Stadium, Wrocław, Poland  Malta 4–0 6–0 1982 World Cup qualification
6. 22 June 1982 Estadio Riazor, A Coruña, Spain  Peru 0–1 1–5 1982 FIFA World Cup
7. 8 September 1982 Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland  Finland 0–1 2–3 Euro 1984 qualifying
8. 17 April 1983 10th-Anniversary Stadium, Warsaw, Poland  Finland 1–0 1–1 Euro 1984 qualifying
9. 17 October 1984 Górnik Zabrze Stadium, Zabrze, Poland  Greece 1–1 3–1 1986 World Cup qualification
10. 31 October 1984 Stadion Stali Mielec, Mielec, Poland  Albania 1–0 2–2 1986 World Cup qualification
11. 19 May 1985 Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece  Greece 0–1 1–4 1986 World Cup qualification
12. 7 June 1986 Estadio Universitario, San Nicolás de los Garza, Mexico  Portugal 1–0 1–0 1986 FIFA World Cup
13. 17 May 1987 Népstadion, Budapest, Hungary  Hungary 1–2 5–3 Euro 1988 qualifying

Personal life

Smolarek's son, Euzebiusz, is also a footballer and a forward. He too represented Feyenoord and Poland, and also had a three-year spell with Borussia Dortmund.[3]

Death

Smolarek died on 7 March 2012 at the age of 54, in his hometown.[4][5]

References

  1. ↑ Klukowski, Tomasz (19 October 2002). "Wlodzimierz Smolarek – International Matches". RSSSF. Retrieved 8 April 2009.
  2. ↑ "PZPN chce holenderskiego systemu szkolenia" (in Polish). Sport. 7 March 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
  3. ↑ "Eintracht trauert um Smolarek" [Eintracht Frankfurt mourns Smolarek] (in German). Frankfurter Rundschau. 7 March 2012. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  4. ↑ "Włodzimierz Smolarek nie żyje" (in Polish). 90 Minut. 7 March 2012. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  5. ↑ "Sad farewell bid to Marquitos and Smolarek". FIFA.com. 9 March 2012. Retrieved 29 January 2014.

External links