Franciszek Smuda

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Franciszek Smuda
Smuda in 2013
Personal information
Date of birth (1948-06-22) 22 June 1948 (age 75)
Place of birth Lubomia, Poland
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
1962–1967 Unia Racibórz
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1967–1969 Odra Wodzisław Śląski
1970 Ruch Chorzów
1970–1971 Stal Mielec
1971–1974 Piast Gliwice
1975 Vistula Garfield
1975
Hartford Bicentennials
20 (3)
1975–1977 Legia Warsaw 33 (0)
1978 Los Angeles Aztecs 10 (0)
1978 Oakland Stompers 13 (0)
1978 San Jose Earthquakes 2 (0)
1979–1982
SpVgg Fürth
17 (1)
1982 VfR Coburg
Managerial career
1983 VfR Coburg
1984–1987 ASV Forth
1988
FC Herzogenaurach
1989 Altay S.K.
1992 Konyaspor
1993 FV Wendelstein
1993–1995 Stal Mielec
1995–1998 Widzew Łódź
1998–1999 Wisła Kraków
1999–2001 Legia Warsaw
2001–2002 Wisła Kraków
2002 Widzew Łódź
2003 Piotrcovia Piotrków Trybunalski
2003 Widzew Łódź
2004 Widzew Łódź
2004 Omonia
2004–2005 Odra Wodzisław Śląski
2005–2006 Zagłębie Lubin
2006–2009 Lech Poznań
2009 Zagłębie Lubin
2009–2012 Poland
2013 Jahn Regensburg
2013–2015 Wisła Kraków
2016–2017
Górnik Łęczna
2017–2018 Widzew Łódź
2018–2019
Górnik Łęczna
2021–2022 Wieczysta Kraków
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Franciszek Smuda (Polish pronunciation: [fraɲˈt͡ɕiʂɛk ˈsmuda]; born 22 June 1948) is a Polish football coach and former footballer who also holds a German passport.[1] As a player, he spent his career playing for clubs in Poland, the United States and Germany. In 1983, he turned to coaching, becoming the manager of Widzew Łódź, Wisła Kraków, Legia Warsaw and Lech Poznań, among others. He has won three Polish league titles. Since 2009 he was the manager of the Poland national team,[2] but resigned on 16 June 2012, following their elimination from Euro 2012.[3]

Early life

Smuda was born in Lubomia, Wodzisław County, Poland, as a son of Gerard, a railway worker, and Marta.[4]

Playing career

As a player, Smuda played as a

Hartford Bi-Centennials. In 1975 Smuda returned to Poland to play for Legia Warsaw.[4] In 1978, he returned to the USA again to play for three other NASL clubs.[5]
He finished his career as a player in Germany then shortly after becoming a manager.

Coaching career

Smuda began his coaching career successfully in the lower leagues in Germany. During the late 1980s, he was appointed as a manager in Turkey. He coached

Altay Izmir and Konyaspor for a total of four years. In 1993, Smuda returned to Poland to help save Stal Mielec
from relegation. During the seasons in Mielec, he managed to maintain the team in the Ekstraklasa.

Widzew Łódź

In May 1995, Smuda was appointed as the manager of

Steaua Bucharest. Widzew finished the group in third place. The team from Łódź were able to repeat their feat of winning the Ekstraklasa
again. The next season was not as promising as Widzew's management sold some of their key players and were eliminated in the qualifying phases of the Champions League. Widzew finished in 4th place that year and were unable to qualify for any European competitions. Shortly thereafter, Smuda moved to Wisła Kraków where he had much success.

Wisła Kraków

Smuda was appointed as the manager of

Parma F.C.
In September 1999, Smuda was dismissed as manager of Wisła after team's first defeat in the 1997–98 season.

Legia Warsaw

After leaving Wisła in September 1999, Smuda was hired as manager of Legia Warsaw replacing Dariusz Kubicki. However, he did not win any trophies, nor qualify for any European competitions. After a 4–0 defeat by Zagłębie Lubin in March 2001, Smuda was sacked.

Return to Wisła Kraków

In June 2001, Smuda was re-hired as a coach of Ekstraklasa champions Wisła Kraków. He failed to defeat FC Barcelona in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League. After losing two league matches to Polonia Warsaw and Legia Warsaw in March 2002, he was replaced by Henryk Kasperczak.

Other clubs (2002–2004)

Subsequently, Smuda managed Widzew Łódź, Piotrcovia Piotrków Trybunalski as well as the Cypriot team Omonia.

Odra Wodzisław

Since 2004 he has been coaching

UEFA Cup
for the 2006–07 season.

Lech Poznań

In May 2006, Smuda was hired as the manager of Lech Poznań following the club's merger with Amica Wronki. He led the club to a sixth-place finish in the 2006–07 season and fourth the following season. He also qualified for 2008–09 UEFA Cup Round of 32 with Lech Poznań. In 2008–09 Ekstraklasa season, Lech Poznań managed to reach the top of the league table by the winter break, but a series of draws during the spring round resulted in a third-place finish at the end of the season. His contract with the club was not extended.

Zagłębie Lubin

After several seasons with Lech Poznań, he returned to Zagłębie Lubin in September 2009.

Poland national team

On 29 October 2009, Smuda was chosen as the new manager of the Poland national team.[2][6] After a disappointing UEFA Euro 2012 tournament in which the Poland national football team finished last in their group below Russia, Greece & Czech Republic, Franciszek Smuda left his post as manager directly after the final defeat of the campaign.[3]

Personal life

Smuda is married to Małgorzata.[7]

Honours

Managerial

Widzew Łódź

Wisła Kraków

Zagłębie Lubin

Lech Poznań

References

  1. ^ a b Franciszek SmudaUEFA coaching record (archived)
  2. ^ a b "Smuda lands 'dream' Poland job". UEFA. 29 October 2009. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  3. ^ a b "Smuda quits after Poland exit". FIFA.com. 16 June 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2012.[dead link]
  4. ^ a b "Smuda, Franciszek" (in Polish). wyborcza.pl. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  5. ^ "Franz Smuda". Dave Morrison. Retrieved 8 April 2009.
  6. ^ "Smuda trenerem reprezentacji!". Gazeta Wyborcza (in Polish). 29 October 2009. Retrieved 29 October 2009.
  7. ^ "Smuda: Frankowski trenerem – to mój pomysł" (in Polish). sport.pl. 21 October 2010. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  8. ^ "Historia Klubu". zaglebie-lubin.pl. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  9. ^ "Smuda oficjalnie żegna się z Lechem". mmpoznan.pl. Retrieved 2 July 2013.

External links