Włodzimierz Smolarek facts for kids
 |
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Włodzimierz Smolarek | ||
| Date of birth | 16 July 1957 | ||
| Place of birth | Aleksandrów Łódzki, Poland | ||
| Date of death | 7 March 2012 (aged 54) | ||
| Place of death | Aleksandrów Łódzki, Poland | ||
| Height | 1.71 m (5 ft 7+1⁄2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Winger, attacking midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Włókniarz Aleksandrów Łódzki | |||
| 1973–1976 | Widzew Łódź | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1976–1977 | Widzew Łódź | 0 | (0) |
| 1978 | Legia Warsaw | 18 | (4) |
| 1979–1986 | Widzew Łódź | 181 | (61) |
| 1986–1988 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 63 | (13) |
| 1988–1990 | Feyenoord | 46 | (13) |
| 1990–1996 | Utrecht | 166 | (32) |
| Total | 474 | (123) | |
| National team | |||
| 1980–1992 | Poland | 60 | (13) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2000–2009 | Feyenoord (youth) | ||
|
|||
Włodzimierz Wojciech Smolarek (born July 16, 1957 – died March 7, 2012) was a famous Polish footballer. He played as a winger or an attacking midfielder.
He spent most of his 20-year career playing for two main clubs: Widzew Łódź in Poland and Utrecht in the Netherlands. He played over 200 games for Widzew Łódź. In total, he played 212 matches and scored 45 goals in the Eredivisie, which is the top football league in the Netherlands.
Smolarek also played for the Polish national team. He represented his country in two World Cups and played 60 international games.
Club Career Highlights
Włodzimierz Smolarek was born in Aleksandrów Łódzki, Poland. He started his professional career playing for Polish clubs like Widzew Łódź and Legia Warsaw.
He achieved great success with Widzew Łódź. He helped them win the top Polish football league, the Ekstraklasa, in both 1981 and 1982. He also won the Polish Cup with the team in 1985.
In 1986, when he was 29 years old, Smolarek moved to play football in other countries. He first joined Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga, which is Germany's top football league. In his second season there, he helped his team win the German Cup in 1988. He played the entire game when Eintracht Frankfurt won 1–0 against VfL Bochum.
After playing in Germany, Smolarek moved to the Netherlands. He played for Feyenoord and FC Utrecht for eight years. He retired from playing football at the age of 39. After retiring, he worked as a youth coach for Feyenoord for almost ten years, helping young players develop their skills.
International Career Highlights
Smolarek played his first game for the Polish national team on October 12, 1980. It was a friendly match against Argentina, which Poland lost 2–1.
Over the next 12 years, he played 59 more international games for Poland. He was chosen to play in two FIFA World Cup tournaments:
- In the 1982 World Cup in Spain, he helped Poland finish in third place. He scored the first goal in a 5–1 win against Peru during the first group stage.
- Four years later, in the 1986 World Cup, he scored the only goal in a group stage match against Portugal. This was his 50th game for Poland. Poland eventually exited the tournament in the round of 16.
In October 2009, the Polish Football Association hired Smolarek. His job was to help manage and develop the national youth football program.
Personal Life
Włodzimierz Smolarek was married to Zdzisława. They had two sons, Euzebiusz and Mariusz. Euzebiusz, also known as Ebi, followed in his father's footsteps and became a professional footballer. Ebi also played for Feyenoord and the Polish national team, and spent three years playing for Borussia Dortmund.
Włodzimierz Smolarek passed away on March 7, 2012, in his hometown of Aleksandrów Łódzki. He was 54 years old.
