Włodzimierz Smolarek

Włodzimierz Smolarek (16 July 1957 – 7 March 2012) was a Polish footballer who played as a striker.

He played most of his 20-year professional career with Widzew Łódź and Utrecht, appearing in more than 200 official games for the former. He amassed Eredivisie totals of 193 matches and 45 goals, over the course of eight seasons.

Smolarek represented Poland in two World Cup, gaining 60 caps.

Club career

Born in Aleksandrów Łódzki, Smolarek played for Widzew Łódź and Legia Warsaw in his country, winning the Ekstraklasa championship with the former in 1981 and 1982, as well as the 1985 Polish Cup. During four years of his spell at Widzew, he shared teams with legendary Zbigniew Boniek

In 1986, aged 29, Smolarek was allowed to leave the Iron Curtain nation, starting with Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga where he won the German Cup in his second season, playing the full 90 minutes in the 1–0 win against VfL Bochum. He retired at 39 after eight years in the Netherlands, with Feyenoord and FC Utrecht, then went on to work with the first as youth coach for nearly one decade.

International career

Smolarek made his debut for the Polish national team on 12 October 1980 in a 1–2 friendly loss in Argentina. Over the next 12 years he appeared in a further 59 internationals, being selected for the squads at two FIFA World Cups: in 1982 he helped the country finish third in Spain, scoring the opener in a 5–1 first group stage routing of Peru. Four years later, celebrating his 50th appearance, he netted the only goal in the group phase contest against Portugal (his 12th and penultimate) in an eventual round-of-16 exit.

In October 2009 Smolarek was hired by the Polish Football Association, to oversee the national side's youth program.

Personal

Smolarek's son, Euzebiusz, is also a footballer and a forward. He too represented Feyenoord and Poland, and also had a three-year spell with Borussia Dortmund.

Death

Smolarek died on 7 March 2012 at the age of 54, in his hometown.