Włodzimierz Lubański is the youngest-ever player to appear for the Poland national team, making his debut at just 16 years and 188 days old.
He won the gold medal in men's football at the 1972 Summer Olympics with the Polish national team.
Lubański is the second-highest all-time goal scorer for the Poland national team, with 48 goals to his name.
Biography
Early Life
Włodzimierz 'Włodek' Leonard Lubański was born in Gliwice, Poland, in 1947. He began his football journey at the tender age of ten, playing for the junior team of Sośnica Gliwice. His talent quickly became apparent, and between 1958 and 1962, he was part of the junior squad at GKS Gliwice. In 1963, Lubański transitioned to professional football, joining Górnik Zabrze, where he would achieve significant success.
Career
Lubański's career at Górnik Zabrze spanned from 1963 to 1975, during which he won the Polish Championship seven times and became the youngest scorer in the history of the European Cup, netting a goal against Dukla Prague at just 16 years and 258 days old. He later played for K.S.C. Lokeren Oost-Vlaanderen in Belgium from 1975 to 1982, followed by a stint at Valenciennes F.C. in France. Lubański also represented the Poland national team from 1963 to 1980, earning 75 caps and scoring 48 goals, making him the second-highest all-time goal scorer for Poland, behind Robert Lewandowski. He was part of the Polish team that won a gold medal at the 1972 Summer Olympics and participated in the 1978 FIFA World Cup.
Personal Life
In 1968, Lubański married Grażyna (née Loreto), and together they have two children, a son named Michał and a daughter named Małgorzata. Beyond his playing career, he served as vice-chairman of Polonia Warsaw for a brief period. Lubański has been recognized for his contributions to Polish football, receiving numerous awards, including the Officer's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta in 1997 and the Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland in 2015. He is also the subject of several books that celebrate his legacy in Polish football.
Collected from open sources (3) · facts link to sources · AI-processed
Gallery
Career & Clubs
Club
International
Scores and results list Poland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Lubański goal.
Born in Gliwice in 1947, he started his football career at the age of ten in Sośnica Gliwice's junior team. Between 1958 and 1962, he was part of the GKS Gliwice's junior squad and in 1963 he started playing football professionally in Górnik Zabrze. He won the Polish Championship seven times with Górnik Zabrze in 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1971 and 1972. Lubański is the youngest scorer in the history of the European Cup (now known as the UEFA Champions League), scoring against Czech side Dukla Prague in the leg of their tie in the first round of the competition on 13 November 1963, aged 16 years and 258 days. Between 1975 and 1982, he played for Belgian side Lokeren before moving to French outfit Valenciennes FC in 1982, where he remained for a year. He won the gold medal at the 1972 Summer Olympics in the men's football team competition with Poland. In 1972, he was awarded the title of Merited Master of Sport of the USSR. He participated at the 1978 FIFA World Cup, finishing fifth with his national team. Lubański was vice-chairman of Polonia Warsaw for three months. In 1997, he received the Officer's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta for his "outstanding contributions to the development of sport in Poland". In 2015, he was awarded the Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.
- National team
- Poland
- Club
- Valenciennes F.C. (1982–1984)
- Club
- Quimper Kerfeunteun F.C. (1984–1984)
- Club
- Piast Gliwice
- Club
- KRC Mechelen (1985–1985)
- Club
- Poland men's national football team (1963–1980)
- Club
- KV Mechelen
- Club
- Górnik Zabrze (1963–1975)
- Club
- K.S.C. Lokeren Oost-Vlaanderen (1975–1982)
Trophies & Awards
- Award
- Honoured Master of Sports of the USSR
- Award
- Commander of the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland
- Award
- Officer of the Order of Polonia Restituta
- Award
- Honored Master of Sports of Poland
- Award
- Knight of the Order of Polonia Restituta
Personal
In 1968, he married Grażyna (née Loreto) with whom he has two children: a son Michał and a daughter Małgorzata. Lubański is the subject of a number of books including Ja, Lubański by Krzysztof Wyrzykowski (1990), Włodek Lubański. Legenda polskiego futbolu by Włodzimierz Lubański and Przemysław Słowiński (2008) and Życie jak dobry mecz by Włodzimierz Lubański and Michał Olszański (2016).
Legacy
Górnik Zabrze
Ekstraklasa: 1962–63, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1970–71, 1971–72 Polish Cup: 1964–65, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1971–72 Poland
Summer Olympics: 1972 Individual
Ekstraklasa top scorer: 1965–66, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1968–69 European Cup Winners' Cup Top Scorer: 1969–70, 1970–71 World XI: 1968, 1969, 1972, 1973 Merited Master of Sport of the USSR: 1972 Order of Polonia Restituta: 1997 UEFA Poland's Golden Player: 2004 Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland: 2015 Polish Football Association National Team of the Century: 1919–2019
Clubs
Played together with
- Abdallah DeebKV Mechelen · 2009–2010
Abdeslam OuaddouValenciennes F.C. · 2006–2008
Abdul Majeed WarisValenciennes F.C. · 2014–2014
Aco StojkovGórnik Zabrze · 2003–2003- Aco StojkovGórnik Zabrze · 2003–2004
Adam BuksaPoland men's national football team · 2021
Adam KokoszkaPoland men's national football team · 2006- Adam LedwońPoland men's national football team · 1993–1998
Adam MatuszczykPoland men's national football team · 2010–2013
Adam MatysekPoland men's national football team · 1991–2002
Adam MusiałPoland men's national football team · 1968–1974- Adam NawałkaPoland men's national football team · 1977–1980
Archive
Passport
Identifiers & aliases
Włodzimierz 'Włodek' Leonard Lubański is a Polish former professional footballer who played as a striker. He is the second-highest all-time goal scorer for the Poland national team, behind Robert Lewandowski, and the youngest-ever player to appear for Poland, making his debut at the age of 16 years and 188 days. For his national team, Lubański amassed 75 caps between 1963 and 1980, scoring 48 goals.
Opinions of fans — not verified facts.
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