Władysław Gędłek (born 15 June 1920 in Kraków; died by suicide 28 February 1954, also in Kraków) was a Polish

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

player, right defender, represented both Cracovia and Poland national team.

Club career

His first team was Krowodrza Kraków, where Gedlek's career started in 1935. During World War II, participated in secret games in Kraków, as the German occupiers banned Poles from playing all sports. In 1945 he moved to Cracovia, where he played until 1953, winning Championships of Poland in 1948. Regarded as a very talented and skilled player. Tough in defence, active in offence, often initiated dangerous attacks on opponents. In late 1940s Poland Gedlek had the status of a celebrity, and his immense talent was appreciated not only in his native country. As the first Pole ever he was called to the

FIFA FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...

's official "World Team’’, to a friendly game in 1953.

International career

Represented Poland in 20 games (1949–1953), also played in both Poland's games of the

1952 Summer Olympics The 1952 Summer Olympics ( fi, Kesäolympialaiset 1952; sv, Olympiska sommarspelen 1952), officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad ( fi, XV olympiadin kisat; sv, Den XV olympiadens spel) and commonly known as Helsinki 1952 ( sv, Helsin ...

References

1920 births 1954 suicides 1954 deaths Polish footballers MKS Cracovia players Olympic footballers for Poland Footballers at the 1952 Summer Olympics Footballers from Kraków Suicides in Poland Men's association football fullbacks Poland men's international footballers {{poland-footy-defender-stub