Krzysztof Warzycha
Encyclopedia
Krzysztof "Kristof" Warzycha (ˈkʂɨʂtɔf vaˈʐɨxa; ) (born November 17, 1964 in Katowice
) is a former Polish professional footballer
. For the majority of his career he played for Greek club Panathinaikos FC
.
team KS Ruch Chorzów and won the Polish Championship
in 1989 and being top scorer in the Polish premier league the same year.
He is Panathinaikos' all-time leading goalscorer and an idol for the club. Warzycha is considered by many to be one of the best foreign players who have played in Greece. He was one of two Poles in the title-winning side of 1995, with fellow countryman Józef Wandzik
keeping over a dozen clean sheets (shutout
s) during the season.
in Amsterdam Olympic Stadium
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RESiNeJRNw8 and gave Ajax their first home defeat in four years, in their last home match before the demolition of the stadium. This memorable goal earned him a strong reputation in European football.
have been no less impressive – he scored six goals in Panathinaikos' nine games on the way to the semi-finals of the 1995/96 competition.
On the 29th of April, 2001 during the match with Ionikos FC, Krzysztof Warzycha scored the 233rd goal of his career in Greece, climbing to second place on the list of all-time goal scorers, tied with Mimis Papaioannou
. Warzycha later scored his 234th goal and become sole occupant of this spot.
He was granted Greek citizenship in 1998. He retired in 2004.
After Panathinaikos head coach Henk Ten Cate was let go on December 8, 2009, Warzycha was appointed as assistant coach alongside with Nikos Nioplias
.
in Napoli (3–0 loss).
Katowice
Katowice is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, on the Kłodnica and Rawa rivers . Katowice is located in the Silesian Highlands, about north of the Silesian Beskids and about southeast of the Sudetes Mountains.It is the central district of the Upper Silesian Metropolis, with a population of 2...
) is a former Polish professional footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
. For the majority of his career he played for Greek club Panathinaikos FC
Panathinaikos FC
Panathinaikos Football Club is a Greek professional football club based in Athens. Founded in 1908, they play in the Super League Greece and are one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Greek football history. They have won 20 Greek Championships and 17 Greek Cups.Panathinaikos is the most...
.
KS Ruch Chorzów
Krzysztof Warzycha played for the PolishPoland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
team KS Ruch Chorzów and won the Polish Championship
Polish Championship in Football
Polish Championship in FootballYear, 1st place, 2nd place, 3rd place* 1913: Cracovia, Pogoń Lwów, Czarni Lwów * 1920: abandoned * 1921: Cracovia, Polonia Warszawa, Warta Poznań...
in 1989 and being top scorer in the Polish premier league the same year.
Panathinaikos
Krzysztof Warzycha joined Panathinaikos in December 1989, and won 5 Greek championships (1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 2004), 5 Greek cups (1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2004), 2 Greek super cups 1993, 1994, while he was the highest scorer of the Greek championship 3 times (1994 , 1995, 1998).He is Panathinaikos' all-time leading goalscorer and an idol for the club. Warzycha is considered by many to be one of the best foreign players who have played in Greece. He was one of two Poles in the title-winning side of 1995, with fellow countryman Józef Wandzik
Józef Wandzik
Józef Wandzik is a former Polish association football player, in the goalkeeper position. He was born in Tarnowskie Góry....
keeping over a dozen clean sheets (shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
s) during the season.
The Most Important Goal
On April 3, 1996, Warzycha scored probably the most important goal of his career (according to a late interview), against Ajax AmsterdamAjax Amsterdam
Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax , also referred to as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam or simply Ajax , is a professional football club from Amsterdam, Netherlands...
in Amsterdam Olympic Stadium
Olympisch Stadion (Amsterdam)
The Olympisch Stadion is a stadium built as the main stadium for the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. When completed, the stadium had a capacity of 31,600. Following the completion of the rival De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam in 1937, the Amsterdam authorities decided to increase the capacity of the...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RESiNeJRNw8 and gave Ajax their first home defeat in four years, in their last home match before the demolition of the stadium. This memorable goal earned him a strong reputation in European football.
First goal scorer
At the end of the 2000/01 season, Warzycha had scored an incredible 235 goals in 352 matches and had been the Greek Alpha Ethniki premier league's top scorer in three different years in the 90s (1994, 1995 and 1998 seasons). His appearances in the UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
have been no less impressive – he scored six goals in Panathinaikos' nine games on the way to the semi-finals of the 1995/96 competition.
On the 29th of April, 2001 during the match with Ionikos FC, Krzysztof Warzycha scored the 233rd goal of his career in Greece, climbing to second place on the list of all-time goal scorers, tied with Mimis Papaioannou
Mimis Papaioannou
Dimitris "Mimis" Papaioannou was one of the star football players of AEK Athens FC. He was born in 1942 and began his career at Nea Genea in the town of Nea Nikomedia , Imathia Prefecture. He joined AEK in time for the 1963 season for the paltry sum of 140,000 drachmas...
. Warzycha later scored his 234th goal and become sole occupant of this spot.
He was granted Greek citizenship in 1998. He retired in 2004.
After Panathinaikos head coach Henk Ten Cate was let go on December 8, 2009, Warzycha was appointed as assistant coach alongside with Nikos Nioplias
Nikos Nioplias
Nikolaos "Nikos" Nioplias , born on 17 January 1965 is a Greek football manager and former international footballer. He currently manages the Cyprus national football team.-Club career:...
.
Polish national team
He also played 50 times for the Polish national team, scoring 9 goals. He played the last game for the Polish national team in April 1997 against ItalyItaly national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
in Napoli (3–0 loss).