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Kazimierz Deyna

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Kazimierz Deyna (Polish pronunciation: [kaˈʑimjɛʐ ˈdɛjna] ⓘ;[a] 23 October 1947 – 1 September 1989)[1] was a Polish professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder in the playmaker role and was one of the most highly regarded players of his generation, due to his excellent vision.[2]

Kazimierz Deyna
Deyna in 1970
Personal information
Full name Kazimierz Deyna
Date of birth (1947-10-23)23 October 1947
Place of birth Starogard Gdański, Poland
Date of death 1 September 1989(1989-09-01) (aged 41)
Place of death San Diego, California, United States
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Youth career
1958–1966 Włókniarz Starogard Gdański
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1966 ŁKS Łódź 1 (0)
1966–1978 Legia Warsaw 304 (93)
1978–1981 Manchester City 38 (12)
1981–1984 San Diego Sockers 90 (44)
1981–1987 San Diego Sockers (indoor) 169 (118)
Total 602 (267)
International career
1968–1978 Poland 97 (41)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Poland
FIFA World Cup
Third place 1974 West Germany
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1972 Munich Team
Silver medal – second place 1976 Montréal Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Early life

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Deyna was born in Starogard Gdański to Franciszek (1911–1976), a dairy worker, and Jadwiga (1917–1981),[3] a housewife. He had six sisters and two brothers, Henryk and Franciszek, who also were footballers. Henryk played for Włókniarz Starogard Gdański, while Franciszek was a Starogardzki KS player.[4]

Club career

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Legia Warsaw

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Deyna began playing youth football in 1958 at his local club Włókniarz Starogard Gdański. In 1966 he made one appearance for ŁKS Łódź (on 8 October in a 0–0 draw against Górnik Zabrze).[5] But he was quickly snapped up by Legia Warsaw. In communist Poland each team had its own "sponsor". The Warsaw club was much more powerful as it was the military club. Moreover, it was the favourite club of the authorities. Deyna was called up into the army and in this way he had to play for Legia Warsaw. He made a name for himself during his first season, becoming one of Legia's most important players. In 1969 and 1970 his team won the Polish Championship.[6] After his performances at the 1974 World Cup, European top teams like AS Saint-Étienne, AS Monaco, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich tried to acquire his services but he was unable to join, since the communist regime in Poland prevented him from moving to Western Europe. Real Madrid was so determined to acquire Deyna that they sent a shirt to Warsaw with his name and number "14".

Manchester City

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Soon afterwards Deyna was transferred to English club Manchester City, making his debut in November 1978,[7] and being one of the first wave of overseas players to play in the English league.[8] His time in England was marred by a series of injuries, and he left in January 1981, shortly after Manchester City made a managerial change, having made only 43 appearances in all competitions. However, he was regarded as an exceptionally gifted playmaker and became a cult figure with City fans.[8] Deyna scored thirteen goals in his time with the club. Furthermore, his seven goals in the last eight games of the 1978–79 season were crucial for Manchester City in their relegation battle.

San Diego Sockers

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The jersey that Deyna wore during his run on San Diego Sockers

Deyna appeared in the 1981 film Escape to Victory as Paul Wolcheck.[1] In the same year, he emigrated to the United States, where he signed with the San Diego Sockers of the North American Soccer League in January 1981. During the next seven years, he played four NASL outdoor seasons, one NASL indoor season and five Major Indoor Soccer League seasons with the Sockers, winning five championships. The Sockers released him in June 1987.[9] He was a 1983 NASL Second Team All Star.[10]

International career

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Deyna with Poland in 1974

On 24 April 1968, Deyna made his debut for the Poland national team in a match against Turkey in Chorzów. He won the gold medal in the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich,[11] and the bronze in Football World Cup 1974, after a match against Brazil.[12] In 1972, he was also the Top Goalscorer of the Olympic Games, with a total of nine goals.[13]

In 1976 Summer Olympics his team yet again reached the finals and won the silver medal.[11] Additionally, he was ranked third in the European Footballer of the Year for 1974, behind Johan Cruyff and Franz Beckenbauer.

Deyna played for Poland on 97 (84 after the deduction of Olympic Football Tournament competition games[14]) occasions, scoring 41 goals, and often captained the side. He had the ability to score from unusual positions, for example directly from a corner. Because of his achievements and talents, he was chosen Football Player of the Year several times by Polish fans. In 1978, he captained Poland at the Football World Cup in Argentina, where the team reached the second phase.

Death

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Kazimierz Deyna tomb in Powązki Military Cemetery

Deyna died in a car accident in San Diego, California in 1 September 1989, aged 41 (just two days before another fatal car accident claimed the life of another international football star, the Italian Gaetano Scirea). In 1994, he was chosen by the Polish Football Association (PZPN) and the readers of all Polish sports-related newspapers as the Greatest Polish Football Player of All Time. His number 10 is retired by Legia Warsaw and the Sockers. In June 2012 Kazimierz Deyna's remains were exhumed and reburied in Warsaw's Powązki Military Cemetery.

Career statistics

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Club

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Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[15][16]
Club Season League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
ŁKS Łódź 1966–67 Ekstraklasa 1 0
Legia Warsaw 1966–67 Ekstraklasa 12 6 1 1 – 0 0 13 7
1967–68 23 6 2 0 – 4 4 29 10
1968–69 26 12 6 5 – 6 2 38 19
1969–70 23 5 4 3 – 8 3 35 11
1970–71 23 3 4 4 – 6 1 33 8
1971–72 26 10 6 8 – 4 0 36 18
1972–73 25 8 7 4 – 3 3 35 15
1973–74 27 8 3 2 – 5 2 35 12
1974–75 26 5 0 0 – 2 0 28 5
1975–76 26 11 2 1 – 28 12
1976–77 28 9 4 0 – 2 2 34 11
1977–78 28 9 4 1 – 33 10
1978–79 11 2 2 1 – 13 3
Total 304 93
Manchester City 1978–79 First Division 13 6 2 0 1 0 1 1 17 7
1979–80 22 6 0 0 1 0 23 6
1980–81 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
Total 38 12
San Diego Sockers 1981 North American Soccer League 39 15
1982 26 11
1983 18 15
1984 23 8
Total 106 49
Career total 449 159 539 203

International

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Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Poland 1968 5 0
1969 8 7
1970 5 2
1971 5 1
1972 10 9
1973 14 1
1974 12 4
1975 8 6
1976 8 3
1977 12 4
1978 10 4
Total 97 41
Scores and results list Poland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Deyna goal.
List of international goals scored by Kazimierz Deyna[17]
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 20 April 1969 Kraków, Poland   Luxembourg 4–0 8–0 1970 FIFA World Cup qualification
2 5–0
3 15 June 1969 Sofia, Bulgaria   Bulgaria 1–2 1–4 1970 FIFA World Cup qualification
4 27 August 1969 Łódź, Poland   Norway 3–0 6–1 Friendly
5 12 October 1969 Luxembourg, Luxembourg   Luxembourg 1–1 5–1 1970 FIFA World Cup qualification
6 5–1
7 9 November 1969 Warsaw, Poland   Bulgaria 3–0 3–0 1970 FIFA World Cup qualification
8 16 May 1970 Kraków, Poland   East Germany 1–0 1–1 Friendly
9 2 September 1970 Warsaw, Poland   Denmark 2–0 5–0 Friendly
10 5 May 1971 Lausanne, Switzerland    Switzerland 3–1 4–2 Friendly
11 30 August 1972 Regensburg, West Germany   Ghana 3–0 4–0 1972 Summer Olympics
12 3 September 1972 Regensburg, West Germany   Denmark 1–1 1–1 1972 Summer Olympics
13 5 September 1972 Augsburg, West Germany   Soviet Union 1–1 2–1 1972 Summer Olympics
14 8 September 1972 Nürnberg, West Germany   Morocco 3–0 5–0 1972 Summer Olympics
15 5–0
16 10 September 1972 Munich, West Germany   Hungary 1–1 2–1 1972 Summer Olympics
17 2–1
18 15 October 1972 Bydgoszcz, Poland   Czechoslovakia 1–0 3–0 Friendly
19 2–0
20 10 October 1973 Rotterdam, Netherlands   Netherlands 1–1 1–1 Friendly
21 17 April 1974 Liège, Belgium   Belgium 1–1 1–1 Friendly
22 19 June 1974 Munich, West Germany   Haiti 2–0 7–0 1974 FIFA World Cup
23 23 June 1974 Stuttgart, West Germany   Italy 2–0 2–1 1974 FIFA World Cup
24 30 June 1974 Frankfurt, West Germany   Yugoslavia 1–0 2–1 1974 FIFA World Cup
25 26 March 1975 Poznań, Poland   United States 3–0 7–0 Friendly
26 6–0
27 7–0
28 6 July 1975 Montreal, Canada   Canada 3–0 8–1 Friendly
29 6–1
30 9 July 1975 Toronto, Canada   Canada 4–1 4–1 Friendly
31 22 July 1976 Montreal, Canada   Iran 2–1 3–2 1976 Summer Olympics
32 31 October 1976 Warsaw, Poland   Cyprus 1–0 8–0 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification
33 3–0
34 10 July 1977 Lima, Peru   Peru 2–0 3–1 Friendly
35 21 September 1977 Chorzów, Poland   Denmark 3–0 4–1 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification
36 29 October 1977 Chorzów, Poland   Portugal 1–0 1–1 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification
37 12 November 1977 Wrocław, Poland   Sweden 2–1 2–1 Friendly
38 5 April 1978 Poznań, Poland   Greece 2–0 5–2 Friendly
39 4–0
40 12 April 1978 Łódź, Poland   Republic of Ireland 2–0 3–0 Friendly
41 10 June 1978 Rosario, Argentina   Mexico 2–1 3–1 1978 FIFA World Cup

Honours

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Exhibition dedicated to Kazimierz Deyna at Legia Warsaw Museum
 
Deyna's statue on Łazienkowska Street in Warsaw

Legia Warsaw[18]

Poland[18]

Individual

National

Notes

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  1. ^ In isolation, Kazimierz is pronounced [kaˈʑimjɛʂ].

References

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  1. ^ a b "Kazimierz Deyna". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 25 February 2009.
  2. ^ "Polonia 1972 – 1974: generazione di fenomeni" (in Italian). Storie di Calcio. 30 November 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  3. ^ "Kazimierz Deyna" (in Polish). 20 June 2012. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
  4. ^ "Kazimierz Deyna – Legenda, która trwa" (in Polish). kazimierdzeyna.pl. Retrieved 1 September 2010.
  5. ^ "Kariera" (in Polish). deyna.info. Retrieved 1 September 2010.
  6. ^ "Legia Warszawa". polishsoccer.net. Archived from the original on 24 January 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2009.
  7. ^ "Kazimierz Deyna". sporting-heroes.net. Retrieved 25 February 2009.
  8. ^ a b Ric Turner (25 February 2009). "The 50 greatest Manchester City players". The Times. Archived from the original on 5 August 2011. Retrieved 25 February 2009.
  9. ^ Sockers set free Deyna, 4 others The San Diego Union (CA) – Friday, 12 June 1987
  10. ^ NASL All Star Teams Archived 11 August 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ a b "Kazimierz Deyna". DatabaseOlympics. Archived from the original on 24 May 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2009.
  12. ^ "1974 FIFA World Cup Germany". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2009.
  13. ^ "Munich, 1972". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 15 February 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2009.
  14. ^ "France '98 and USA '99 influence the Century Clubs". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 7 February 2008. Retrieved 25 February 2009.
  15. ^ "Kazimierz DEYNA".
  16. ^ "Historia Legii Warszawa - Legia.Net".
  17. ^ "Kazimierz Deyna - Goals in International Matches".
  18. ^ a b "Warsaw remembers Poland legend Deyna". UEFA.com. 6 June 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  19. ^ "FUWO 1973" (PDF). FCC-Wiki. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  20. ^ "Sport 1972". Mundo Deportivo. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  21. ^ "Sport 1973". Mundo Deportivo. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  22. ^ "Laureaci". pilkanozna.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  23. ^ "Eastern European Footballer of the season". WebArchive. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  24. ^ "European Footballer of the Year ("Ballon d'Or") 1974". RSSSF. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  25. ^ "Eric Batty's World XI – The Seventies". Beyond The Last Man. 7 November 2013. Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  26. ^ "Nowiny Rzeszowskie : organ KW Polskiej Zjednoczonej Partii Robotniczej. 1972, nr 242-268, 270-271". pbc.rzeszow.pl (in Polish). 1972. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  27. ^ "Pogrzeb Kazimierza Deyny na polskiej ziemi". sport.interia.pl (in Polish). 6 June 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
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