Kazimierz Deyna
Kazimierz Deyna ( born October 23, 1947 in Starogard Gdański, Poland, † September 1, 1989 in San Diego, California ) was a Polish football player. He carried the nickname " Kaka ", " General " or just " Kaz ".
Career
As a player of the army club Legia Warsaw and the Polish national team that won Olympic gold in 1972 and 1974 to third place in the World Cup in Germany, Deyna succeeded to world fame. Deyna was the opinion of many experts, one of the best players in the world and the best midfielder that ever had a Polish national team.
His profession was an officer in the Polish army, but Deyna never been part of political or social organizations. In the Polish national Kazimierz Deyna played from the 1968 until 1978. He made his debut on April 24, 1968 in Chorzów against Turkey ( 8-0 ), his last game he played on June 21, 1978 in Mendoza against Brazil (1:3) in over the XI. World Cup in Argentina. Deyna announced after the previously lost against Argentina when he missed the " major penalty " of his life, on his departure from the circles of the Polish representatives. In total, he completed 97 international caps and scored 41 goals.
Death
To round off his career Kazimierz Deyna went to the North American Soccer League for the club Legends San Diego. In California, he came on 1 September 1989 in a traffic accident: he was with his old Dodge Colt from 1974 from the south on the way to San Diego and drove off at high speed in a Ford F- 600, which on the right lane stood. Most likely he had fallen asleep at the wheel, because the police could not find any skid marks. The front section was crushed up to the seats, so he was dead on the spot. It was 1:25 clock when he died. The autopsy determined the cause of death presented multiple injuries (multiple injuries). He was identified by his driver's license, which he carried in his pocket at all times. Deyna left his wife and his son.
Burial sites
Deyna was first buried in the cemetery of El Camino Memorial Park in San Diego. In June 2012, his remains were transferred to Warsaw and was buried in the military cemetery Powązki.
Achievements
- Olympic champion in 1972 in Munich
- Silver medal at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal
- Third place in the World Cup 1974 in the Federal Republic of Germany
- Scorer of the 1972 Olympic Games (9 goals in 7 games )
- Polish Champion with Legia Warsaw in the years 1969 and 1970
- Polish Cup winner in 1973 with Legia Warsaw
- Reaching the semi-finals in UEFA club competition 1969/70
- American Masters ( MISL ) in the years 1983, 1985, 1986.
- Two-fold election to the All- Star team of the MISL (Most Valuable Midfielder )
- In the elections for the world footballer of the year, which is determined by France Football, Deyna was sixth in 1972 and 1973, 1974 Third
- Choice footballer of the century in Poland ( 1989)
- Five times Footballer of the Year in Poland ( Elected three times by the magazine Sport, two times through the magazine Piłka nożna )
- Selection in the Team of the Year 1972 by the magazine Piłka nożna
- Election as FIFA World Player of the Year in 1974 by the magazine Kicker
- Subsequently by FIFA through an Internet vote for Best Young Player of the World Cup 1974