Jacek Gmoch

Jacek Gmoch (born January 13, 1939 in Pruszków) is a former Polish footballer, who later became a trainer and selector of the Polish National Team.

While having a successful football career he graduated in communication from the Warsaw University of Technology. Gmoch begun playing for Znicz Pruszków, to move on for a successful career in Legia Warszawa. With Legia, he won the Polish Cup twice (in 1964 and 1966) and contributed to the beginning of the successful 1968-69 season. He also became a player for the national Team of Poland (35 caps).

Following a major injury in a friendly match, Gmoch began a coaching career, starting in Legia Warszawa in 1969-71. Having been offered the assistant's job at Kazimierz Górski, he lasted from 1971-74. Moved to U.S. to follow his scientific career (1975-6). He returned to qualify the National Team to 1978 Mundial in Argentina (5th place). He later moved to Norway in 1979 and Greece until 2003 where he became one of the most successful and recognised coaches.

In Norway, he became Skeid Fotball manager and then he went to Greece and worked first as a manager of PAS Giannina, Apollon Athens, Larisa, In 1983, he did his big step as a manager and became trainer of Panathinaikos FC. In his first season as Panathinaikos manager, his team won the Double and the following season, his team for second time in their history, reached the Semi finals of European Champions Cup, where they were eliminated by Liverpool FC. For the season 1985-86, he became coach of another great Greek club, AEK Athens FC and the following season he became again trainer of Larisa and in 1988, his team won for first and only time the Greek Championship. After Larisa, he worked as a manager for Olympiacos and in 1991 he went to Cyprus to become APOEL FC trainer, where his team won the championship and he remained there until the middle of the season 1992-93. Later, he worked for Athinaikos (1994-1995), Ethnikos Piraeus (1995-1996), Ionikos (1997-1998), Kalamata F.C. (1998-1999), Panionios (1999), and again for Ionikos in 2002-2003.

He acted as a member of the Polish Olympic representation team in Athens 2004 Summer Olympics and later became a minor shareholder and President of Legia Warsaw, as well as following up a career in television commentating for several networks.

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