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Jan Furtok

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Jan Furtok
Furtok in 2010
Personal information
Date of birth (1962-03-09)9 March 1962
Place of birth Katowice, Poland
Date of death 26 November 2024(2024-11-26) (aged 62)
Place of death Katowice, Poland
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Striker
Youth career
1976–1977 MK Górnik Katowice
1977–1978 GKS Katowice
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1979–1988 GKS Katowice 169 (77)
1988–1993 Hamburger SV 135 (51)
1993–1995 Eintracht Frankfurt 53 (9)
1995–1998 GKS Katowice 40 (8)
Total 397 (145)
International career
1984–1993 Poland 36 (10)
Managerial career
2005 GKS Katowice
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Jan Furtok (9 March 1962 – 26 November 2024) was a Polish professional footballer who played as a striker.[1] Regarded as the greatest player in GKS Katowice's history,[2] he is the club's all-time best goalscorer.

Career

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Born in Katowice, Furtok spent the early and latter parts of his career playing for his hometown club GKS Katowice, with a seven-year stint in (West) German clubs Hamburger SV and Eintracht Frankfurt in-between.[3]

With GKS, he won the 1985–86 Polish Cup, the club's first major domestic achievement. He then led the Silesian side to third-place and second-place finishes in the 1986–87 and 1987–88 league campaigns, accordingly. With 122 goals in 299 appearances across all competitions, he is the best goalscorer in GKS Katowice's history.[4] GKS retired the number 9 in honour of Furtok's service to the club.[5]

Furtok played for the Poland national team, scoring 10 goals across 36 appearances.[6] He was a participant at the 1986 FIFA World Cup.[7] His goal scored by hand rescued Poland from humiliating goalless home draw against San Marino in 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification.[8]

Death

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Furtok had been suffering from Alzheimer's for years. He was diagnosed in 2015.[9] Furtok died on 26 November 2024, at the age of 62.[10][9] Posthumously, the President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, awarded him the Officer's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta. His funeral took place on 29 November 2024 at the cemetery of the Holy Trinity Parish in Katowice. The ceremony was attended by prominent figures, including Jan Urban, Jerzy Brzęczek, Lukas Podolski, and representatives from GKS Katowice and Górnik Zabrze.[11]

Commemoration

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On 29 November 2024, the Polish Football Association announced that all matches of the I, II, and III leagues played between 29 November and 2 December would be preceded by a minute of silence in memory of Furtok.[12] A similar announcement was made by the Ekstraklasa. However, the minute of silence for Furtok was not observed by Ruch Chorzów before their match against Odra Opole, which sparked controversy and various reactions from fans and the public.[13]

Career statistics

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Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Poland 1984 1 0
1985 3 1
1986 3 0
1987 4 2
1988 6 3
1989 5 2
1990 3 0
1991 6 1
1992 0 0
1993 5 1
Total 36[7] 10
Scores and results list Poland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Furtok goal.
List of international goals scored by Jan Furtok
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 11 December 1985 Altay Alsancak Stadium, İzmir, Turkey  Turkey 1–0 1–1 Friendly
2 18 March 1987 Municipal Stadium, Rybnik, Poland  Finland 3–1 3–1 Friendly
3 24 March 1987 Olympic Stadium, Wrocław, Poland  Norway 1–0 4–1 Friendly
4 24 August 1988 Municipal Stadium, Białystok, Poland  Bulgaria 2–0 3–2 Friendly
5 21 September 1988 Stadion der Freundschaft, Cottbus, East Germany  East Germany 1–1 2–1 Friendly
6 2–1
7 2 May 1989 Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway  Norway 1–0 3–0 Friendly
8 2–0
9 16 October 1991 Municipal Stadium, Poznań, Poland  Republic of Ireland 2–3 3–3 UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying
10 28 April 1993 Widzew Stadium, Łódź, Poland  San Marino 1–0 1–0 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

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GKS Katowice

Individual

References

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  1. ^ "Furtok, Jan" (in German). kicker.de. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  2. ^ Sroka, Jacek (29 November 2024). "Takiego Jana Furtoka pamiętamy. Wspomnienie legendy GKS Katowice". gol24.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 30 November 2024.
  3. ^ Arnhold, Matthias (25 August 2016). "Jan Furtok – Matches and Goals in Bundesliga". RSSSF. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  4. ^ "W Katowicach pożegnano Jana Furtoka". sport.tvp.pl (in Polish). 29 November 2024. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
  5. ^ Malinowski, Marcin (19 February 2013). "Furtok: Nie czułem się dumny". igol.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 30 November 2024.
  6. ^ Arnhold, Matthias (25 August 2016). "Jan Furtok – International Appearances". RSSSF. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  7. ^ a b c "Jan Furtok". Munzinger Biographie (in German). Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  8. ^ Furtok, Jan; Furtok, Anna (28 April 1993). "Biblioteka Piłkarstwa Polskiego". Biblioteka Piłkarstwa Polskiego (in Polish). Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  9. ^ a b "Ehemaliger HSV- und Eintracht-Stürmer: Jan Furtok ist tot". Der Spiegel (in German). 26 November 2024. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  10. ^ "Zmarł Jan Furtok. Były reprezentant Polski miał 62 lata". Interia Sport. 26 November 2024. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  11. ^ "Pogrzeb Jana Furtoka. Piłkarz pośmiertnie odznaczony. Poruszające sceny na oczach gwiazd". sport.interia.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 30 November 2024.
  12. ^ "Minuta ciszy przed meczami Betclic 1., 2. oraz 3. Ligi". Polish Football Association (in Polish). Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  13. ^ "Ruch Chorzów nie uczcił pamięci Jana Furtoka, choć minutę ciszy na meczach ogłosił PZPN. Klub z Cichej nie komentuje tej decyzji". gol24.pl. 1 December 2024.
  14. ^ "Laureaci". pilkanozna.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 16 July 2024.
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