Jerzy Engel
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Władysław Jerzy Engel (born October 6, 1952 in Włocławek, Poland) was a Polish footballer and coach. Engel began his career in football at an early age playing at local club Junak Wloclawek, before moving to Polonia Warszawa (1975-76), Hutnik Warszawa (1976-77) and several other clubs.
Engel, nicknamed "Jurek", began playing in midfield or attack before, at the age of 22, being cruelly forced to cut his career short because of injury. With spirits dampened only slightly, he immediately turned to coaching and took over at Polonia Warsaw in the 1976/1977 season.
After a spell with third division teams, he came to the fore once more with his involvement in Poland's third-place finish in the 1982 FIFA World Cup Spain, helping then national coach, Antoni Piechniczek, choose the ideal squad.
In 1985 Jurek took over at Legia Warsaw, leading them to two second place finishes in the Polish Championship in three seasons. Just as he was becoming well known he made the strange decision to move to Apollon Limassol, in Cyprus, an island he stayed on for seven years.
The devout Catholic returned to Legia before taking Polonia Warsaw to runners-up spot in 1998/1999.
He became manager of the Polish national team in 1999 and after failing to achieve qualification for the 2000 European Championships, was instrumental in securing Emmanuel Olisadebe's naturalisation as a Polish national.
With the side lacking firepower when he took charge, Engel saw the qualities in Nigerian-born Olisadebe who was already playing his league football in Poland. He asked the president to speed Olisadebe's papers through and as a result, had a talented forward available for World Cup qualifying. Olisadebe rewarded his coach with eight goals in ten qualifying matches.
Engel steered Poland to their first World Cup finals tournament since 1986, when he oversaw their participation at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan.
The World Cup did not go well and Poland were eliminated in the first round. The opening two games provided two resounding defeats losing to South Korea and Portugal. After being knocked out of the tournament and now without any pressure to perform, Poland beat the United States in their final group game for a famous victory.
His most recent vocation was at Wisła Kraków where he was trainer until late-October 2005 and he has also been sports director of Legia Warszawa. On December 2005 he moved back in Cyprus and headed the training team of APOEL FC. He led the team into the third place of the local Championship, just 2 points from the top, and won the Cup as well.
Engel's management career:
- Legia Warszawa, Poland, July 1985 - June 1988
- Apollon Limassol, Cyprus, July 1988 - June 1990
- APOP Paphos, Cyprus, July 1990 - June 1991
- Nea Salamis, Cyprus, July 1991 - June 1995
- Legia Warszawa, Poland, July 1995 - June 1996
- Nea Salamis, Cyprus, July 1996 - December 1996
- Aris Limassol, Cyprus, January 1997 - June 1997
- Polonia Warsaw, Poland, July 1997 - June 1999
- Poland National Team, January 2000 - June 2002
- Wisla Krakow, Poland, June 2004 - October 2005
- APOEL FC Nicosia Cyprus, December 2005 - May 2006
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Preceded by Janusz Wójcik |
Poland National Team Coach January 26, 2000 – June 14, 2002 |
Succeeded by Zbigniew Boniek |
