Zbigniew Boniek

Zbigniew Boniek

Boniek in 2007
26th President of the PZPN
Assumed office
26 October 2012
Preceded by Grzegorz Lato
Personal details
Born (1956-03-03) 3 March 1956
Bydgoszcz, Poland
Nationality Polish
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Occupation
Association football career
Playing position
Youth career
1966–1975 Zawisza Bydgoszcz
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1975–1982 Widzew Łódź 172 (50)
1982–1985 Juventus 81 (14)
1985–1988 Roma 76 (17)
Total 329 (81)
National team
1976–1988 Poland 80 (24)
Teams managed
1990–1991 Lecce
1991–1992 Bari
1992–1993 Sambenedettese
1994–1996 Avellino
2002 Poland

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

† Appearances (goals)

Zbigniew "Zibì" Kazimierz Boniek (Polish pronunciation: [ˈzbiɡɲɛv ˈbɔɲɛk]; born 3 March 1956 in Bydgoszcz) is a former Polish footballer and manager and the current head of the Polish Football Association (PZPN). A former midfielder, he is considered one of the greatest Polish players of all time,[1] and was selected by Pelé as one of the 100 best living footballers in 2004.

In an 80-cap international career, he scored 24 goals and played at three consecutive World Cups, helping Poland to 3rd place in 1982 and making the Team of the Tournament. His greatest achievements in club football were at Juventus in Italy, winning the 1985 European Cup.

In the early 1990s he managed several Italian clubs, and also the Polish national team in 2002.


Club career

Boniek first played at Zawisza Bydgoszcz and later at Widzew Łódź. He transferred to Italian football giants Juventus in 1982. With Juventus he won the Cup Winners' Cup and the European Super Cup in 1984 (scoring in the final of the former) and the European Cup in 1985. After finishing his professional career at Roma in 1988, he had a successful business career.

As a player, Boniek was known for his blistering pace and acceleration. He was one of the best dribblers of his time and also displayed superb technique. The Juventus president Gianni Agnelli nicknamed him Bello di notte ("Beauty at night", which is a play on the title of the Buñuel movie Belle de Jour) because of his performances in European club tournament matches, which were played in the evening. Boniek was named by Pelé as one of the 125 Greatest Living Footballers and by FIFA as one of the 100 best-ever players. On 12 October 2009, he received a Golden Foot career award.[2]

International career

Boniek represented Poland in 80 internationals and scored 24 goals. He won a bronze medal (third place) as part of the Polish team at the 1982 FIFA World Cup.

Managerial career

Boniek has also coached in Italy, with stints at Lecce in 1990–91, Bari in 1991–92, Sambenedettese in 1992–93, and Avellino in 1994–96.

Boniek has served as vice-president of the Polish Football Association, and in July 2002 he became the manager of Poland. He resigned in December 2002, after just five matches (2 wins, 1 draw, 2 defeats, including a 1–0 home loss against Latvia in a European Championship qualifier).

Later career

According to reports back in Poland, Boniek had been favored to become the new Minister of Sport for his country, but he denied the claims and stated that he had no intention of taking up the job.[3]

On 26 October 2012, he became the chairman of the Polish Football Association.[4] As the head of Polish football he is hugely popular with supporters due to his view on decriminalising football fans and in favour of legalising pyrotechnics inside stadiums, which is common ultras practice.[5]

Honduran international footballer Óscar Boniek García was given the middle name Boniek in honour of Zbigniew Boniek.[6] García chose to have the name "Boniek" written across the back of his jersey while playing for Houston.

Career statistics

Club

Club performance League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Poland League Polish Cup Europe Total
1975–76Widzew ŁódźEkstraklasa 2770000277
1976–77 2491000259
1977–78 301121433615
1978–79 2841100295
1979–80 261021213012
1980–81 1110050161
1981–82 26832203110
Italy League Coppa Italia Europe Total
1982–83JuventusSerie A 285123924910
1983–84 2736294429
1984–85 266631034212
1985–86Roma 2975100348
1986–87 2646420348
1987–88 2163100247
Total Poland 172509513419459
Italy 15731381430922554
Career total 3298147194313419113

International goals

’’Boniek Star’’
Scores and results table. Poland's goal tally first:
# Date Venue Opponent Result Competition
1 11 May 1976 Basel, Switzerland   Switzerland 1–2 Friendly
2 31 October 1976 Warsaw, Poland  Cyprus 5–0 FIFA World Cup 1978 qualifying
3 19 June 1977 São Paulo, Brazil  Brazil 1–3 Friendly
4 5 April 1978 Poznań, Poland  Greece 5–2 Friendly
5 12 April 1978 Łódź, Poland  Republic of Ireland 3–0 Friendly
6 10 June 1978 Rosario, Argentina  Mexico 3–1 FIFA World Cup 1978
7
8 15 November 1978 Wrocław, Poland   Switzerland 2–0 UEFA Euro 1980 qualifying
9 18 April 1979 Leipzig, East Germany  East Germany 1–2 UEFA Euro 1980 qualifying
10 2 May 1979 Chorzów, Poland  Netherlands 2–0 UEFA Euro 1980 qualifying
11 29 August 1979 Warsaw, Poland  Romania 3–0 Friendly
12 13 May 1980 Frankfurt, West Germany  West Germany 1–3 Friendly
13 28 May 1980 Poznań, Poland  Scotland 1–0 Friendly
14 28 October 1981 Buenos Aires, Argentina  Argentina 2–1 Friendly
15 15 November 1981 Wrocław, Poland  Malta 6–0 FIFA World Cup 1982 qualifying
16 18 November 1981 Łódź, Poland  Spain 2–3 Friendly
17 22 June 1982 A Coruña, Spain  Peru 5–1 FIFA World Cup 1982
18 28 June 1982 Barcelona, Spain  Belgium 3–0 FIFA World Cup 1982
19
20
21 22 May 1983 Chorzów, Poland  Soviet Union 1–1 UEFA Euro 1984 qualifying
22 27 March 1984 Zurich, Switzerland   Switzerland 1–1 Friendly
23 19 May 1985 Athens, Greece  Greece 4–1 FIFA World Cup 1986 qualifying
24 30 May 1985 Tirana, Albania  Albania 1–0 FIFA World Cup 1986 qualifying

Honours

Club

Boniek (right) in 2011.

Widzew Łódź

Juventus

Roma

Individual

Civil awards

Zbigniew Boniek is a 3rd class knight of Order of Merit of the Italian Republic Commendatore Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana [9]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Zbigniew Boniek.


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