Ryszard Kulesza: Difference between revisions

| death_date = {{death date and age|2008|5|19|19311929|9|28|df=yes}}

| years1 = 1950–1954 | clubs1 = [[OkęciePolonia WarszawaWarsaw]] | caps1 = | goals1 =

| clubs2years4 = 1958–1959 | clubs4 = [[Polonia WarsawBydgoszcz]] | caps4 = | goals4 =

| manageryears1 = 1972–1974

| managerclubs1 = [[LechiaRuch Gdańsk]]Piaseczno

| manageryears2 = 1978–19801963–1965

| managerclubs2 = [[PolandMazowsze national football team|Poland]]Grójec

| manageryears3 = 1981–19831966–1972

| managerclubs3 = [[TunisiaZnicz national football team|TunisiaPruszków]]

| manageryears4 = 1986–19871972–1974

| managerclubs4 = [[ClubLechia Sportif SfaxienGdańsk]]

| manageryears5 = 1987–19881974–1975

'''Ryszard Kulesza''' (28 September 1931, in [[Warsaw]] – 19 May 2008, in Warsaw) was a Polish [[Poland|Polishfootball player]] footballer, coach[[manager (association football)|manager]] and officialexecutive, one of managers of the [[Poland national football team|Poland national team]]. His father was killed during the [[Warsaw Uprising]], and Kulesza himself, who was 13, was lucky to survive, as a German soldier threw him under a passing tank. After the uprising, he was forcibly taken to Germany as [[Ost-Arbeiter]], but escaped and returned to Poland on foot.

After the war, Kulesza played in such teams, as [[OkęciePolonia WarszawaWarsaw]], [[PoloniaGwardia Warsaw]], and [[Polonia Bydgoszcz]].<ref>{{cite web |title=18-letni Ryszard Kulesza i jego debiut w reprezentacji juniorów |url=https://polska-pilka.pl/mecze/aktualnosci/18-letni-ryszard-kulesza-i-jego-debiut-w-reprezentacji-juniorow?highlight=WyJrdWxlc3phIl0= |website=polska-pilka.pl |access-date=13 November 2024 |language=pl |date=30 May 2020}}</ref> He ended his career as a player in 1961, and began working as a coach. In 1972–1974, Kulesza coached [[Lechia Gdańsk]], and since 1974, he worked with several national teams of Poland, such as U-21 (1974–1975), and U-23 (1975–1978). In 1976, Kulesza co-worked with [[Kazimierz Górski]], and later with [[Jacek Gmoch]] (1976–1977 and 1978). In October 1978, after Gmoch's resignation, he took the post of general manager of PolishPoland national team, but left this post in December 1980, as a result of the [[Okęcie Airport incident]]. He was replaced with [[Antoni Piechniczek]].

In the 1980s, Kulesza worked in [[Tunisia]] and [[Morocco]], returning to Poland in late 1980s. He became an activist of the [[Polish Football Federation]] (PZPN), founding the school of football coaches, which was popularly called ''kuleszówka''. He actively fought corruption, and in 1993, he supported stripping [[Legia Warsaw]] of its championship title, after Warsaw's team routed [[Wisła Kraków]] 6–0 in Kraków on the [[Sunday of Miracles]]. Kulesza died in a hospital, suffering from [[Alzheimer disease]]. He was buried on 29 May 2008 at Warsaw's Czerniaków Cemetery.

[[Category:SportspeopleFootballers from Warsaw]]

[[Category:PolishPeople footballersfrom Warsaw Voivodeship (1919–1939)]]