Władysław Żmuda

Władysław Żmuda

Żmuda in 2007
Personal information
Full name	Władysław Antoni Żmuda
Date of birth	(1954-06-06) 6 June 1954
Place of birth	Lublin, Poland
Height	1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Defender
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1970–1972	Motor Lublin	45	(0)
1972–1974	Gwardia Warszawa	34	(0)
1974–1980	Śląsk Wrocław	210	(5)
1980–1982	Widzew Łódź	67	(1)
1982–1984	Hellas Verona	7	(0)
1984	New York Cosmos	4	(0)
1984–1987	Cremonese	43	(1)
Total		410	(7)
International career
1973–1986	Poland	91	(2)
Medal record Men's football Representing Poland FIFA World Cup 1974 West Germany 1982 Spain Olympic Games 1976 Montreal Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Władysław Antoni Żmuda (Polish pronunciation: [vwaˈdɨswav ˈʐmuda]; born 6 June 1954) is a Polish former professional footballer, who played as a defender for Śląsk Wrocław, Widzew Łódź, Hellas Verona, New York Cosmos and US Cremonese. He earned 91 caps for the Poland national team and is a four-time FIFA World Cup participant.

Club career

Żmuda was born in Lublin. He spent six years learning his trade with his first club Motor Lublin before finally spreading his wings in 1973 and switching to Gwardia Warsaw, one of the Polish capital's clubs. The 19-year-old Żmuda was instrumental in Gwardia's UEFA Cup campaign of 1973–74 where they narrowly lost out to eventual winners Feyenoord. Żmuda pursued his career in Poland with Śląsk Wrocław and later Widzew Łódź before Italian club Hellas Verona secured permission to sign him from Poland in 1982. After two injury-plagued seasons at Verona, Żmuda spent a brief spell with New York Cosmos before returning to Italy with US Cremonese, playing two of his three seasons with the club in Serie B. Żmuda ended his playing career in 1988.

International career

Żmuda (left) playing for Poland in a match against the Netherlands, 1979

Żmuda played for the Poland national team, for which he earned 91 caps and scored 2 goals.

He was a participant at four FIFA World Cups, the first in 1974, where Poland reached third place. He was named as the best young player of the tournament.

He played a total of 21 matches at the World Cup finals, the third-most ever, tied with Uwe Seeler and Diego Maradona and behind only Lothar Matthäus, Paolo Maldini, Miroslav Klose and Lionel Messi. His four tournaments, in 1974, 1978, 1982 and 1986, place him fourth in the all-time rankings behind Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Antonio Carbajal and Matthäus and level with legends of the game, such as Pelé, Maradona and Gianni Rivera.

He was also a participant at the 1976 Summer Olympics, where Poland won the silver medal.

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Poland	1973	1	0
	1974	9	0
	1975	10	0
	1976	9	0
	1977	11	0
	1978	12	1
	1979	4	0
	1980	9	0
	1981	7	0
	1982	7	0
	1983	0	0
	1984	7	0
	1985	4	1
	1986	1	0
Total		91	2

Honours

Club

Śląsk Wrocław

• Ekstraklasa: 1976-77
• Polish Cup: 1975–76

Widzew Łódź

• Ekstraklasa: 1980–81, 1981–82

International

Poland

• Olympic silver medal: 1976
• FIFA World Cup bronze medal: 1974, 1982

Individual

• FIFA World Cup Best Young Player Award: 1974

External links

• Władysław Żmuda – FIFA competition record (archived)
• Władysław Żmuda at WorldFootball.net
• NASL stats
• Profile at Lega Calcio
• Władysław Żmuda at National-Football-Teams.com