Zbigniew Boniek facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Zbigniew Boniek
Boniek in 2015
UEFA Vice President
Incumbent
Assumed office 20 April 2021
President	Aleksander Čeferin
Vice President	Karl-Erik Nilsson (as first vice-president)
26th President of the PZPN
In office 26 October 2012 – 18 August 2021
Preceded by	Grzegorz Lato
Succeeded by	Cezary Kulesza
Personal details
Born	(1956-03-03) 3 March 1956 (age 69) Bydgoszcz, Poland
Height	1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Occupation	Footballer Football administrator
Zbigniew Boniek Personal information Playing position Midfielder Forward Sweeper Youth career 1966–1973 Zawisza Bydgoszcz Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† 1973–1975 Zawisza Bydgoszcz 41 (14) 1975–1982 Widzew Łódź 172 (50) 1982–1985 Juventus 81 (14) 1985–1988 Roma 76 (17) Total 367 (95) National team 1976–1988 Poland 80 (24) Teams managed 1990–1991 Lecce 1991–1992 Bari 1992–1993 Sambenedettese 1994–1996 Avellino 2002 Poland Honours Men's football Representing  Poland FIFA World Cup Third 1982 Spain Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Zbigniew Kazimierz Boniek (born 3 March 1956) is a famous Polish former football player and manager. He is also a current vice-president for UEFA, which is the main football organization in Europe. Many people think he is one of the best Polish players ever. In 2004, the legendary player Pelé even picked him as one of the top 100 living footballers.

Boniek played in 80 international games for Poland and scored 24 goals. He played in three World Cups in a row. He helped Poland get third place in the 1982 World Cup. He was also chosen for the "Team of the Tournament" that year.

His biggest successes in club football were with Juventus in Italy. He won many important trophies there between 1983 and 1985. These included the Serie A league title, the Coppa Italia cup, and the European Cup. He was the first Polish player to win a major European club title. He also won the "Polish Footballer of the Year" award in 1978 and 1982.

In the early 1990s, Boniek worked as a manager for several Italian clubs. He also managed the Poland national team in 2002. In 2019, he was added to the "Italian Football Hall of Fame."

Club Career Highlights

Boniek was born in Bydgoszcz, Poland. He started his football journey playing for Polish clubs. These clubs were Zawisza Bydgoszcz and later Widzew Łódź.

Playing for Juventus

In 1982, Boniek moved to Italy to play for the big club Juventus. In his first season, he helped Juventus win the Coppa Italia cup. They also finished second in the league and reached the 1983 European Cup Final.

The next season, Boniek played a key role. Juventus won both the Serie A title and the Cup Winners' Cup in 1984. Boniek scored the winning goal in the final of the Cup Winners' Cup against Porto. Later that year, he also helped them win the European Super Cup. He scored two goals in that final against Liverpool.

In 1985, he won the European Cup with Juventus. They played against Liverpool again in the final. Boniek won a penalty kick, which Michel Platini scored to win the title. This victory was sadly overshadowed by a terrible event called the Heysel Disaster.

Playing for Roma

After Juventus, Boniek joined Roma in 1985. He won another Coppa Italia cup with Roma in 1986. He finished his professional playing career with Roma in 1988.

International Career with Poland

Zbigniew Boniek, top scorer for Poland in the 1982 World Cup

Boniek played for the Polish national team 80 times. He scored 24 goals between 1976 and 1988. He played in the 1978, 1982, and 1986 FIFA World Cups.

1978 FIFA World Cup

At the 1978 World Cup, Boniek started as a substitute. But he became famous when he scored two goals against Mexico. This helped Poland win their group. However, Poland was later knocked out in the second round.

1982 FIFA World Cup Success

Boniek was a star player for Poland at the 1982 World Cup in Spain. He helped his team reach the semi-finals and scored four goals. He scored in a 5–1 win against Peru. This helped Poland win their group.

In the second round, he scored three goals (a hat-trick) against Belgium. This was a 3–0 win. He missed the semi-final against Italy because of a suspension. But he returned for the third-place match against France. Poland won that match, earning a bronze medal. Boniek was named to the "Team of the Tournament."

1986 FIFA World Cup

The 1986 World Cup was not as successful for Poland. They made it to the second round but lost 4–0 to Brazil.

Playing Style and Nicknames

Boniek usually played as a midfielder. But he could also play as a forward. He liked to play freely between different positions. He could play on either side of the field or in the middle. He was an attacking midfielder, a right winger, or even a second striker.

Boniek was known for his unique mustache and outgoing personality. He was tall, brave, and worked very hard. He was also very fast and had quick reactions. He was especially good at running past defenders to receive long passes. He had a great partnership with Michel Platini at Juventus. Diego Maradona called Boniek "one of the finest players of their generation."

He was a very talented and smart player with great skill. He was one of the best dribblers of his time. He could also finish chances well with both feet and his head. He often scored important goals in big matches.

Sometimes, people criticized him for not always being involved in the game. He struggled when opponents didn't give him much space.

Gianni Agnelli, the president of Juventus, gave him the nickname Bello di notte (meaning "Beauty at night"). This was because Boniek played so well in European matches, which were played in the evening. In these games, opponents often gave him more space. This allowed him to dribble, score, or create chances for his teammates. The Italian press also called him Zibì.

Towards the end of his career, as he got slower, he sometimes played in a defensive role as a sweeper.

Managerial Career

After he stopped playing, Boniek became a coach. He managed several Italian clubs, but with less success. He coached Lecce, Bari, Sambenedettese, and Avellino.

In July 2002, he became the manager of the Polish national team. He left the job in December 2002 after only five matches.

Later Career and Awards

After retiring from playing, Boniek also had a successful business career. He later worked as a football expert and commentator.

In 2004, Pelé chose Boniek as one of the 125 Greatest Living Footballers. This was part of FIFA's 100th birthday celebrations. In 2009, he received the Golden Foot 'Legend' award for his career.

On 26 October 2012, he became the chairman of the Polish Football Association. He was known for supporting football fans and wanting to make things like pyrotechnics legal in stadiums. His time as chairman ended on 18 August 2021.

Personal Life

Boniek has a university degree in education. His father, Józef Boniek, was also a professional football player and manager. In 1976, Zbigniew married his wife Wiesława. They have three children: two daughters, Karolina and Kamila, and a son, Tomasz.

Legacy and Influence

Boniek (right) in 2011.

Boniek depicted on an Armenian commemorative coin in 2009.

A Honduran football player, Óscar Boniek García, was given the middle name Boniek to honor Zbigniew Boniek. García even chose to have "Boniek" on the back of his jersey when he played for Houston.

In 2018, Boniek became an honorary citizen of Łódź, a city in Poland. In 2019, a magazine named him the most important person in Polish sport. The same year, he was voted into Poland's "Team of the Century." This was part of a poll celebrating 100 years of the Polish Football Association.

In 2020, two books about Boniek were published. One was a biography called Zibi, czyli Boniek. The other was his own autobiography, Zbigniew Boniek. Mecze mojego życia (Zbigniew Boniek: The Matches of My Life).

Career Statistics

These tables show how many games Zbigniew Boniek played and how many goals he scored for his clubs and for the Polish national team.

Club Appearances and Goals

International Appearances and Goals

International Goals Scored

This list shows the goals Boniek scored for Poland. Poland's score is always listed first.

List of international goals scored by Zbigniew Boniek

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	11 May 1976	Basel, Switzerland	Switzerland	1–2	1–2	Friendly
2	31 October 1976	Warsaw, Poland	Cyprus	3–0	5–0	1978 FIFA World Cup qualification
3	19 June 1977	São Paulo, Brazil	Brazil	1–3	1–3	Friendly
4	5 April 1978	Poznań, Poland	Greece	5–0	5–2	Friendly
5	12 April 1978	Łódź, Poland	Republic of Ireland	1–0	3–0	Friendly
6	10 June 1978	Rosario, Argentina	Mexico	1–0	3–1	1978 FIFA World Cup
7				3–1
8	15 November 1978	Wrocław, Poland	Switzerland	1–0	2–0	UEFA Euro 1980 qualifying
9	18 April 1979	Leipzig, East Germany	East Germany	1–0	1–2	UEFA Euro 1980 qualifying
10	2 May 1979	Chorzów, Poland	Netherlands	1–0	2–0	UEFA Euro 1980 qualifying
11	29 August 1979	Warsaw, Poland	Romania	3–0	3–0	Friendly
12	13 May 1980	Frankfurt, West Germany	West Germany	1–1	1–3	Friendly
13	28 May 1980	Poznań, Poland	Scotland	1–0	1–0	Friendly
14	28 October 1981	Buenos Aires, Argentina	Argentina	2–1	2–1	Friendly
15	15 November 1981	Wrocław, Poland	Malta	6–0	6–0	1982 FIFA World Cup qualification
16	18 November 1981	Łódź, Poland	Spain	2–1	2–3	Friendly
17	22 June 1982	A Coruña, Spain	Peru	3–0	5–1	1982 FIFA World Cup
18	28 June 1982	Barcelona, Spain	Belgium	1–0	3–0	1982 FIFA World Cup
19				2–0
20				3–0
21	22 May 1983	Chorzów, Poland	Soviet Union	1–0	1–1	UEFA Euro 1984 qualifying
22	27 March 1984	Zürich, Switzerland	Switzerland	1–0	1–1	Friendly
23	19 May 1985	Athens, Greece	Greece	3–1	4–1	1986 FIFA World Cup qualification
24	30 May 1985	Tirana, Albania	Albania	1–0	1–0	1986 FIFA World Cup qualification

Football Achievements

Widzew Łódź

• Ekstraklasa: 1980–81, 1981–82

Juventus

• Serie A: 1983–84
• Coppa Italia: 1982–83
• European Cup: 1984–85
• European Super Cup: 1984
• European Cup Winners' Cup: 1983–84

Roma

• Coppa Italia: 1985–86

Poland

• FIFA World Cup third place: 1982

Individual Awards

• Polish Newcomer of the Year: 1976
• Piłka Nożna Polish Footballer of the Year: 1978, 1982
• Ballon d'Or third place: 1982
• FIFA World Cup All-star Team: 1982
• ADN Eastern European Footballer of the Season: 1982
• FIFA 100: 2004
• Golden Foot Legends Award: 2009
• FAI International Football Awards – International Personality: 2012
• Italian Football Hall of Fame: 2019

Special Honors

• Boniek was given the Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta: 1982
  

  Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta
• Boniek is a 3rd class knight of Order of Merit of the Italian Republic: 1997
  

  Order of Merit of the Italian Republic

Images for kids

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  ’’Boniek Star’’, Władysławowo, Poland

See also

In Spanish: Zbigniew Boniek para niños