Marek Citko
Encyclopedia
Marek Citko is a retired Polish football player, who most frequently performed as an offensive midfielder. His first club was Włókniarz Białystok and hist last - Polonia Warsaw. During the professional career Citko was representing numerous clubs in Poland and outside the native country: Włókniarz Białystok, Jagiellonia Białystok, Widzew Łódź, Legia Warsaw, Dyskobolia Grodzisk Wielkopolski
, Hapoel Be'er Sheva, FC Aarau
, Cracovia Kraków
and Polonia Warsaw.
, the current coach of the Polish national team, won Ekstraklasa (the highest level of football cup-ties in Poland) and the Polish SuperCup in 1996. In the season 1996/1997 Widzew, with Citko in the line-up, represented Poland in the Champions League
. Although Citko played a few successful matches (he scored goals against Borussia Dortmund
and Atletico Madrid), his team was eliminated from the cup after the group stage. What made the biggest impression on foreigh observers was a goal scored by Citko in the match against Atletico (1:4) which took place on the Widzew's stadium at Piłsudskiego Street in Łódź. The 22-year-old Pole kicked a ball from nearly 40 metres to the goal and lobbed Jose Francisco Molina
, the then goalkeeper of the Spanish national team.
in London, the player managed to score the opening goal against David Seaman
. Regardless of the fact that Poland lost the match 1:2, many clubs began to court Citko. It was expected that the Pole would join Blackburn Rovers playing in the Premier League but he decided not to leave his country, explaining that he wished to train as a priest. He was also linked with Liverpool
.
Citko suffered a horrible injury of Achilles tendon
and after his 16-month recuperation was unable to capture his previous form. He spent the rest of his career playing for lower profile sides. Representing Polonia Warsaw in the season 2006/2007, the Pole scored the second, with respect to estetic reasons, fantastic goal in his career. Citko managed to score directly from the corner kick. The player retired on June 29, 2007 being considered one of the most unfulfilled Polish talents in football.
Dyskobolia Grodzisk Wielkopolski
Dyskobolia Grodzisk Wielkopolski is a Polish football club based in Grodzisk Wielkopolski, Poland.- History :Dyskobolia Grodzisk Wielkopolski was founded on April 30, 1922....
, Hapoel Be'er Sheva, FC Aarau
FC Aarau
FC Aarau is a Swiss football club, based in Aarau. They play in the Swiss Challenge League.-History:FC Aarau was formed on 26 May 1902 by workers from a local brewery. The early days of the club were a success and they won the Swiss championship in 1911/12 and then again in 1913/14...
, Cracovia Kraków
Cracovia Kraków
Cracovia is a professional multisports club based in Kraków, Poland. Cracovia is the oldest Polish football club still in existence , and has continually participated in competition since its founding on 13 June 1906...
and Polonia Warsaw.
Widzew Łódź and the Champions League
Being a player of Widzew Łódź, Citko achieved his greatest successes in football. In 1996 and 1997 Widzew trained by Franciszek SmudaFranciszek Smuda
Franciszek Smuda is a Polish football manager and former player. Who played in Poland, the United States, and Germany. In 1983 he turned to coaching, becoming the manager of Widzew Łódź, Wisła Kraków, Legia Warsaw and Lech Poznań, among others. He has won three Polish league titles...
, the current coach of the Polish national team, won Ekstraklasa (the highest level of football cup-ties in Poland) and the Polish SuperCup in 1996. In the season 1996/1997 Widzew, with Citko in the line-up, represented Poland in the Champions League
UEFA 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...
. Although Citko played a few successful matches (he scored goals against Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
and Atletico Madrid), his team was eliminated from the cup after the group stage. What made the biggest impression on foreigh observers was a goal scored by Citko in the match against Atletico (1:4) which took place on the Widzew's stadium at Piłsudskiego Street in Łódź. The 22-year-old Pole kicked a ball from nearly 40 metres to the goal and lobbed Jose Francisco Molina
José Francisco Molina
José Francisco Molina Jiménez is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a goalkeeper.11 years of his extensive professional career were spent at Atlético Madrid and Deportivo de La Coruña, where he won a total of five titles combined...
, the then goalkeeper of the Spanish national team.
International matches
During his stint in Widzew, Citko won 10 caps for Poland (he scored two goals against Brasil and England). On October 9, in the 1996 World Cup qualifier at Wembley StadiumWembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
in London, the player managed to score the opening goal against David Seaman
David Seaman
David Andrew Seaman MBE is a former English football goalkeeper who played for several clubs, most notably Arsenal. He retired from the game on 13 January 2004, following a recurring shoulder injury...
. Regardless of the fact that Poland lost the match 1:2, many clubs began to court Citko. It was expected that the Pole would join Blackburn Rovers playing in the Premier League but he decided not to leave his country, explaining that he wished to train as a priest. He was also linked with Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
.
Big popularity in Poland
Scoring a goal against eternal rivals made Citko one of the most famous sportsmen in Poland. The player came first in a contest organized by the Polish Television (TVP), Polish Radio Program 3 (PR3) and "Super Express" (a Polish daily newspaper). What's most surprising, the contest concerned 1996 - the year of the Summer Olympics in Atlanta where Polish sportsmen won 7 gold medals (17 overall). What's more, Citko won a prize of "Revelation of the year" granted by "Piłka Nożna" (the most popular football weekly in Poland) and was 10th in the contest of "Przegląd Sportowy" (the only Polish sports daily).A severe injury
Shortly thereafter, on May 17, 1997 in the match between Widzew and Górnik ZabrzeGórnik Zabrze
Górnik Zabrze is a Polish football club from Zabrze. The club has won numerous championships, and was a dominant force in the 1960s and 1980s. For now Górnik has the most titles in Poland. The club plays in white or dark blue - red kit, and is based at the Ernest Pohl Stadium...
Citko suffered a horrible injury of Achilles tendon
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon , also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendo calcaneus, is a tendon of the posterior leg. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneus bone.- Anatomy :The Achilles is the tendonous extension of 3 muscles in the lower leg:...
and after his 16-month recuperation was unable to capture his previous form. He spent the rest of his career playing for lower profile sides. Representing Polonia Warsaw in the season 2006/2007, the Pole scored the second, with respect to estetic reasons, fantastic goal in his career. Citko managed to score directly from the corner kick. The player retired on June 29, 2007 being considered one of the most unfulfilled Polish talents in football.