Jerzy Engel

Jerzy Engel

Jerzy Engel
Personal information
Full name	Władysław Jerzy Engel
Date of birth	(1952-10-06)6 October 1952
Place of birth	Włocławek,Poland
Position(s)	Striker
Youth career
1966–1969	Junak Włocławek
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1969–1971	Kujawiak Włocławek
1971–1973	AZS-AWF Warsaw
1973–1974	Polonia Warsaw
Managerial career
1975–1976	Polonia Warsaw II
1976–1977	Hutnik Warszawa
1977–1978	RKS Błonie
1978	Polonia Warsaw
1979–1981	Polonia Bydgoszcz
1982–1984	Hutnik Warszawa
1985–1987	Legia Warsaw
1988–1990	Apollon Limassol
1990–1991	APOP Paphos
1991–1995	Nea Salamis
1996	Nea Salamis
1997	Aris Limassol
1997–1999	Polonia Warsaw
2000–2002	Poland
2005	Wisła Kraków
2005–2006	APOEL
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Władysław Jerzy Engel(Polish pronunciation:[vwaˈdɨswafˈjɛʐɨˈɛŋɡɛl];born 6 October 1952) is a Polish formerfootballerand coach.

Biography

Playing career

Engel began his career in football at an early age playing at local youth club Junak Wloclawek, before being promoted to local senior teamKujawiak Włocławekwhich allow him to move to the likes ofPolonia Warsawand 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.

Coaching and managerial career

First spell in club football

With spirits dampened only slightly, he immediately turned to coaching and took over at Polonia Warsaw reserves in the 1975/1976 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 the1982 FIFA World CupSpain,helping then national coach,Antoni Piechniczek,choose the idealsquad.

In 1985 Jurek took over atLegia Warsaw,leading them to two second-place finishes in thePolish Championshipin three seasons. Just as he was becoming well known he made the strange decision to move toApollon Limassol,inCyprus,an island he stayed on for seven years.

He later returned to Legia before taking Polonia Warsaw to runners-up spot in 1998–99.

National team spell

He became manager of thePoland national teamin 1999 and after failing to achieve qualification for theUEFA Euro 2000,was instrumental in securingEmmanuel Olisadebe'snaturalisationas a Polish national.

With the side lacking firepower when he took charge, Engel saw the qualities inNigerian-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 tenqualifyingmatches.

Engel steered Poland to their firstWorld Cup finalstournament since1986,when he oversaw their participation at the2002 World CupinSouth KoreaandJapan.

The World Cup did not go well and Poland were eliminated in the first round. The opening two games provided two resounding defeats, losing toSouth KoreaandPortugal.After being knocked out of the tournament and now without any pressure to perform, Poland beat theUnited Statesin their final group game for a famous victory.

Second spell in club football

His most recent vocation was atWisła Krakówwhere he was trainer until late-October 2005 and he has also been sports director ofLegia Warsaw.In December 2005, he moved back in Cyprus and headed the coaching team ofAPOEL.He led the team into the third place of theCypriot Championship,just two points from the top, and won theCypriot Cupas well.

Directorial career

On 25 June 2015 "Polonia Warsaw Co." under the leadership of Jerzy Engel took over the senior team from the MKS Polonia Warsaw Academy, which helped to reinstate Polonia Warsaw back from nonexistence, to the bottom-half of the 4th tier (third league) of professional football in Poland. Under "Engel's Co." the club returned to the emblem, and the sponsor from the Polish Title winning season (1999/2000).

Honours

Manager

Polonia Warszawa

• Ekstraklasa:1999–2000

APOEL

• Cypriot Cup:2005–06

Individual

• Polish Coach of the Year:2000, 2001