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Top Polish soccer coach dies
Radio Polonia ^ | 23.05.2006 | Michal Zajac

Posted on 05/23/2006 2:34:22 PM PDT by lizol

Top Polish soccer coach dies

23.05.2006

Poland’s most successful football coach ever, Kazimierz Gorski, has died at the age of 85. He led the national team to an Olympic gold and World Cup bronze in the 1970s.

Report by Michal Zajac

The whole life of Kazimierz Gorski has been closely related to sport, namely football. Having been a player himself, he then became a coach to later continue as a sport activist, all the time remaining a great sport lover. It was under his command of the national team from 1970 to 1976 that Poland’s most successful achievements took place.

In the opinion of sports commentator and senator, Andrzej Person, the Polish national team had never been stronger before the era of coach Kazimierz Gorski nor ever afterwards.

”I am very sad because Kazimierz Gorski was a key person in my professional career. I was very lucky to be in Munich in 1972 when we played Hungary in the final and won the gold medal. I remember the sensational win over England which promoted us to the World Cup in 1974. And Gorski was, I think, absolutely the number one coach in the history of Polish sport..”

Led by Kazimierz Gorski, Poland claimed gold at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, third place at the World Cup in Germany two years later and silver at the Montreal Olympics in 1976. Jan Tomaszewski – the star goalkeeper of Gorski’s wonder team said there were many great players before and after their times, but they never had the fortune of working with Kazimierz Gorski.

One of those lucky ones has been Radio Polonia’s Slawek Szefs, who had a personal encounter with the super-coach and his methods back in the mid-1960s.

”There was a soccer tournament for teens, I went to schools with Gorski’s son Darek so our choice of coach was in a way natural. He used to watch us calmly on the field, giving us brief comments, teaching us to think, simply analyse the game.”

Kazimierz Gorski has been a unique personality. He enjoyed respect of everyone here, both his peers as well as all the following generations.

Henryk Wieczorek was a member of one of Kazimierz Gorski’s famous teams.

”He is a legend of Polish football, a person who initiated the stream of success of football in Poland beginning with the Olympic Games in 1972 through World Cup in 1974 and another Olympics two years later. It’s a pity he died so shortly before the World Cup in Germany. I Am sure the Polish team will play to the best of its form to thus honour the memory of Kazimierz Gorski.”

All football games in Poland this week will begin with a minute of silence in tribute to the merited coach.


TOPICS: Sports
KEYWORDS: football; gorski; kazimierzgorski; poland; soccer

1 posted on 05/23/2006 2:34:27 PM PDT by lizol
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To: rzeznikj at stout; DesScorp; Hoodat; redgirlinabluestate; Rushmore Rocks; Jack Black; ...
Eastern European ping list


FRmail me to be added or removed from this Eastern European ping list

2 posted on 05/23/2006 2:34:57 PM PDT by lizol (Liberal - a man with his mind open ... at both ends)
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To: lizol

I was at the '72 Games in Munich. Hard to believe that was almost 35 years ago.


3 posted on 05/23/2006 2:56:46 PM PDT by Ciexyz (Let us always remember, the Lord is in control.)
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To: vox_PL

He and Kaz Deyna are probably talking about Poland's chances up there as we speak. I had a chance to see Kaz play in the NASL here in the US, before his tragic accident.


5 posted on 05/23/2006 3:38:55 PM PDT by dfwgator (Florida Gators - 2006 NCAA Men's Basketball Champions)
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To: lizol
poland had a very good team in the early 70s. perhaps we had sen a different result in 74 in the match against poland without the rain and the water on the field but these days are long ago.

The present polish tema is hard to judge but in the end everyone here is happy to have poland in the group as the european counterpart. Other european teams would be much more tougher but who knows. The german team has the ability to loose against every team even poland but also to win against every team at a very good day in three weeks we have the answer.
6 posted on 05/24/2006 1:39:36 AM PDT by stefan10
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