Andrzej Szarmach

Andrzej Szarmach is a former Football player and a former manager who represented the Poland National Team between 1973 to 1982. Born on 3rd October 1950, Szarmach played a centre-forward for the Poland national football team during its "golden age" in the 1970s. The right-footed player was Top scorer of the 1976 Olympic Games with 6 goals as Poland finished with a silver medal.

Background

Born in Gdańsk, Poland, Szarmach began his career in 1965 with the youth club of Polonia Gdańsk where he spent his time till 1969. Then he moved to Stoczniowiec Gdańsk at the age of 19 and became a deadly striker for the club at the second division as he finished as the top scorer with 15 goals in 1972 season. He moved to the first division after 2 years to Górnik Zabrze, one of the biggest clubs of Poland.

Debut

On 13th September 1982, Szarmach made his debut in the European Champions Cup after a move to Górnik Zabrze in a 0:5 away win over Sliema Wanderers. There he played until 1976 and became a national player during this time and went on to represent the Polish national team in 61 matches and scored 32 goals.

Rise to glory

Szarmach represented Górnik Zabrze in 105 matches scoring on 49 occasions in all competitions.

Subsequently, he was hired by FKS Stal Mielec in 1976, where he remained for another four years featuring in 102 matches and finished with 60 goals.

He participated in three world championships hosted by Germany, Argentina, and Spain, where he finished at third place in 1974 and 1982.

In 1980, Andrzej Szarmach moved to France, where he was played for AJ Auxerre between 1980 till 1985, followed by a move to EA Guingamp till 1987 before finishing his professional career with Clermont FC 1989 as Player and coach for the club.

In 1981 and 1982 he was selected by the magazine France Football for the best foreign player in Division 1.

Club career

Szarmach began his career with Arka Gdynia in 1969 where he featured in 72 matches scoring 41 goals followed by a move to top division club Górnik Zabrze in 1972. He played 4 seasons for the club scoring 49 goals in 105 appearances. Then a move to FKS Stal Mielec in 1976 saw him donning the jersey in 131 matches scoring 76 goals. In 1980, French Club Auxerre signed him up and he featured in 148 matches. He moved to En Avant Guingamp and Clermont Foot in the latter end of his career by spending a couple of seasons with each club.

Retirement

In the 1982 World Cup, he only played one game, in the third-place encounter against France and scored one of the goals with which Poland got its second bronze in their history with a 3:2 win and it became his last game for the national team.

He ended his club career as a player-manager for Clermont Foot and went to manage the club like Clermont Foot, Châteauroux, Angoulême, Zagłębie Lubin and finishing off his Managing career with Aurillac in 2001.