Józef Boniek (12 March 193112 December 2019) was a

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...

, who played as a

central defender In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring. Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...

, and

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities o ...

Club career

Having made an impression at his local club, he won the

Pomerania Pomerania ( pl, Pomorze; german: Pommern; Kashubian: ''Pòmòrskô''; sv, Pommern) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The western part of Pomerania belongs to ...

n championship in 1952. He spent the rest of his career in

Bydgoszcz Bydgoszcz ( , , ; german: Bromberg) is a city in northern Poland, straddling the meeting of the River Vistula with its left-bank tributary, the Brda. With a city population of 339,053 as of December 2021 and an urban agglomeration with more ...

. First he was a leading player at Zawisza, where he made over 100 appearances. He then moved to Polonia making 60 appearances. He was also a leading player at the club, being known for his efficient and tough style of play. He retired from playing after Polonia was relegated from the top division.

Career statistics

Managerial career

He went to coach lower league clubs in the area starting at the same club he started his playing career.

Personal life

He was the father of Zbigniew Boniek. He was an electrician by profession, he worked in a thermal power plant in

. He also performed electrical work on facilities belonging to the Zawisza club. He also had the qualifications of a football instructor. He died at the age of 88. He was buried on 14 December 2019 at the cemetery at the Tańskich Street in Bydgoszcz.

References

1931 births 2019 deaths Polish men's footballers Men's association football defenders Zawisza Bydgoszcz players Polish football managers People from Nakło nad Notecią Footballers from Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship {{Poland-footy-defender-stub