Kazimierz Górski he started leading the Polish national team on his own in 1970. He remained in office for six years, during which time he won a bronze medal at the World Championships, as well as Olympic gold and silver in 1972 and 1976, respectively.
Kazimierz Górski passed away after winning silver at the Olympics
After the final in Montreal, the legendary coach he said goodbye to the team. He resigned himself, feeling that he and the staff had hit a wall. He got the best out of his clients and realized that nothing more could be done. He also didn’t want to waste his career and destroy his own legend.
I couldn’t reach them. I couldn’t convince them to do great things. Medals count. But, for example, I’m not at all satisfied with the second place in Montreal. This team should play better. What she showed at the world championships was not the peak of her abilities. I have never hidden it. I knew and I said that there were still reserves in the players. That they can surprise fans more than once. And I only had one successful match – in Chorzów against the Netherlands.
~ Kazimierz Górski in “Sportowiec” in 1976
So Górski was unemployed and looking for new challenges. His name meant a lot in European and world football, so numerous offers from various clubs and federations are not surprising. We will probably never know the full list of people willing to employ Górski, because he himself The Polish Football Association hid it from the coach at that time. His fate was in the hands of the communists, who decided whether they would let the coach leave the country or not.
Ultimately, Górski went to Mexico for a conference, and soon he found employment in Greece. The activists allowed him to sign a contract with Panathinaikos. However, if a different system had prevailed in Poland at that time, perhaps the legendary coach would have paved the way for… Czesław Michniewicz. After many years, he moved to the Middle Eastto Saudi Arabia, and that’s it in 1976, in that part of the world – but in Kuwait – they wanted to employ Górski. However, nothing came of the plans.
Górski like Michniewicz. The idea was blocked by the communists
Górski was to supervise the work of several Polish coaches in Kuwait. He was one of those who were to go to the Middle East with the coach Stefan Żywotko. This is what the late trainer said about the case he told us in 2021:
After we won promotion to the first league with Arka, the club treated us to a two-week holiday in Zakopane. The football team was there for a training camp before going to the Olympics in Montreal. I came and watched the national team’s training. I met and talked to coach Górski. And that’s when the proposal to go to Kuwait came up. He asked me if I would go with him. It was a stupid question, of course there was nothing to think about. I left Arka after being promoted and waited.
~ Stefan Żywotko
Meanwhile, the games were over and the threads of the trip were gone. Górski, as mentioned, was not allowed to leave the country, and other Polish coaches were left in the lurch with him.
– Unfortunately, after “only” silver medal at the Olympics the authorities did not agree to such an attractive trip – added Żywotko.
Jakub Żelepień, Interia
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