Zygmunt Maszczyk

Zygmunt Maszczyk

Personal information
Full name	Zygmunt Paweł Maszczyk
Date of birth	(1945-05-03) 3 May 1945
Place of birth	Siemianowice Śląskie, Poland
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Youth career
1955–1962	Siemianowiczanka
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1963–1976	Ruch Chorzów	310	(41)
1977–1978	Valenciennes	36	(4)
1979–1980	CKS Czeladź
Total		346	(45)
International career
1968–1976	Poland	36	(0)
Medal record Men's football Representing Poland FIFA World Cup 1974 West Germany Olympic Games 1972 Munich Team 1976 Montreal Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Zygmunt Paweł Maszczyk (born 3 May 1945) is a Polish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.

He earned 36 caps with the Poland national team and was a participant at the 1974 FIFA World Cup, where Poland won the bronze medal, at the 1972 Summer Olympics, where Poland won the gold medal and at the 1976 Summer Olympics, where Poland won the silver medal. In 1975, he won the Polish Footballer of the Year plebiscite organized by the Piłka Nożna football weekly.

Career

Early in his career (1955–1962), Maszczyk played in local club Siemianowiczanka Siemianowice Śląskie. He moved to the well-renowned Ruch Chorzów in 1963 and played there until 1976, appearing in 310 matches. He was instrumental in Ruch becoming three time national champion (1968, 1974, 1975) and winning the Polish Cup (1974).

During his career, Maszczyk was perhaps the most popular player of Ruch. He was well regarded for his flawless technique, exceptional work ethic, tirelessness, and quietness and aversion to media.

As an example of his style, Maszczyk was acclaimed as obviously moving the most in the field of all the players of the Poland national team that won the bronze medal at the 1974 FIFA World Cup.

Fans called him "Zyga" (a Silesian diminutive for Zygmunt).

Later, Maszczyk moved to Germany, where he left the sports career. By 1981, he lived and work in Lüdenscheid.

Honours

Ruch Chorzów

• Ekstraklasa: 1967–68, 1973–74, 1974–75
• Polish Cup: 1973–74

Poland

• Olympic gold medal: 1972
• Olympic silver medal: 1976
• FIFA World Cup third place: 1974

Individual

• Piłka Nożna Polish Footballer of the Year: 1975

Orders

• Gold Cross of Merit: 1972
• Order of Polonia Restituta Officer's Cross: 1974

References

• (in Polish) Polish Olympic Committee entry
• (in Polish) Ruch Chorzów profile