Kazimierz Deyna facts for kids
Deyna in 1970
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Kazimierz Deyna | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 23 October 1947 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Starogard Gdański, Poland | |||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 1 September 1989 (aged 41) | |||||||||||||||
| Place of death | San Diego, California, United States | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m | |||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Attacking midfielder | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1958–1966 | Włókniarz Starogard Gdański | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||
| 1966 | ŁKS Łódź | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 1966–1978 | Legia Warsaw | 304 | (93) | |||||||||||||
| 1978–1981 | Manchester City | 38 | (12) | |||||||||||||
| 1981–1984 | San Diego Sockers | 90 | (44) | |||||||||||||
| 1981–1987 | San Diego Sockers (indoor) | 169 | (118) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 602 | (267) | ||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||
| 1968–1978 | Poland | 97 | (41) | |||||||||||||
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Honours
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Kazimierz Deyna (born October 23, 1947 – died September 1, 1989) was a famous Polish professional footballer. He played as an attacking midfielder, which means he was a player who helped both defend and attack. He was also known as a playmaker, someone who controls the flow of the game and creates chances for goals. Many people thought he was one of the best players of his time because he had amazing vision on the field.
Contents
His Early Life
Kazimierz Deyna was born in a town called Starogard Gdański in Poland. His father, Franciszek, worked at a dairy, and his mother, Jadwiga, was a housewife. Kazimierz had six sisters and two brothers, Henryk and Franciszek. Both of his brothers also played football for local teams.
Playing for Clubs
Legia Warsaw: A Polish Legend
Kazimierz Deyna started playing youth football in 1958 for his local club, Włókniarz Starogard Gdański. In 1966, he played one game for ŁKS Łódź. But he quickly joined Legia Warsaw, a much bigger club.
In Poland at that time, many sports teams were linked to different parts of the government or military. Legia Warsaw was the army's club and was very powerful. Deyna was called into the army, which meant he had to play for Legia Warsaw. He quickly became one of their most important players.
His team won the Polish Championship in 1969 and 1970. After he played brilliantly in the 1974 World Cup, many top European teams wanted him. Clubs like Real Madrid and Bayern Munich tried to sign him. However, Poland was under a communist government then, and they did not allow him to move to Western Europe to play. Real Madrid even sent him a special jersey with his name and the number "14" on it!
Manchester City: A Move to England
Later, Deyna was able to move to England and join Manchester City in November 1978. He was one of the first international players to play in the English league.
His time in England was a bit tough because he had several injuries. He left the club in January 1981. Even though he didn't play many games, he was seen as a super talented player. Manchester City fans loved him, and he became a "cult figure" – meaning he was very popular and admired by a dedicated group of fans. He scored 13 goals for the club, and his goals in the 1978–79 season were very important in helping Manchester City avoid being moved to a lower league.
San Diego Sockers: Success in the USA
In 1981, Kazimierz Deyna appeared in a movie called Escape to Victory, which was about a football match. In the same year, he moved to the United States. He signed with the San Diego Sockers, a team in the North American Soccer League.
For the next seven years, he played for the Sockers, both outdoors and indoors. He helped them win five championships! The Sockers released him in June 1987. In 1983, he was named a Second Team All-Star in the NASL, showing how good he was.
Playing for Poland
Kazimierz Deyna played his first game for the Poland national team on April 24, 1968, against Turkey. He achieved great success with his national team.
He won a gold medal at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. He also won a bronze medal at the 1974 FIFA World Cup after Poland beat Brazil. In 1972, he was the top goal scorer at the Olympic Games, scoring nine goals! In the 1976 Summer Olympics, his team reached the finals again and won a silver medal.
In 1974, he was ranked third for the Ballon d'Or award, which is given to the best European footballer. Only Johan Cruyff and Franz Beckenbauer, two football legends, were ranked higher than him.
Deyna played 97 games for Poland and scored 41 goals. He often led the team as captain. He was known for scoring goals from unusual positions, even directly from a corner kick! Because of his amazing skills, Polish fans voted him Football Player of the Year many times. In 1978, he was the captain of Poland's team at the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina.
His Legacy
Kazimierz Deyna sadly died in a car accident in San Diego, California, when he was 41 years old.
In 1994, the Polish Football Association and readers of Polish sports newspapers chose him as the Greatest Polish Football Player of All Time. To honor him, his number 10 jersey was retired by both Legia Warsaw and the San Diego Sockers, meaning no other player on those teams will wear that number. In June 2012, Kazimierz Deyna's remains were moved and reburied in Warsaw's Powązki Military Cemetery.
Honours and Achievements
Legia Warsaw
- Polish Championship: 1968–69, 1969–70
- Polish Cup: 1966, 1973
Poland
- Olympic gold medal: 1972
- Olympic silver medal: 1976
- FIFA World Cup bronze medal: 1974
Individual
- Olympic top scorer: 1972
- Polish Footballer of the Year: 1973, 1974
- Ballon d'Or Third place: 1974
- FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1974
See also
In Spanish: Kazimierz Deyna para niños
