Józef Kałuża

Józef Ignacy Kałuża (11 February 1896 – 11 October 1944) was a Polish footballer and later coach, regarded as one of the best Polish footballers of the 1920s.

Club career Kałuża was one of the most experienced forward players of 1920s Poland. His whole career was connected with Cracovia - he won his first Polish championship in with the team. By 1921, Kałuża had scored 297 goals in 200 games. Altogether, he played 408 games in Cracovia’s jersey, scoring 465 goals. From 1921 to 1928, Kałuża represented Poland in 16 international games, scoring 7 goals.

Career statistics

Later life In 1932, after retiring from his playing career, he became the head coach of the Poland national football team. Under his guidance, Poland gradually started achieving international success. In 1936, at the Berlin Olympic Games, the white-and-red team secured fourth place. Two years later, during the 1938 FIFA World Cup, Poland narrowly lost 5–6 in an intense match against Brazil. This iconic game remains celebrated not only as one of the greatest in Polish football history but also as one of the most memorable matches in World Cup history.

Kałuża's final game as coach occurred on Sunday, August 27, 1939, in Warsaw. Poland played exceptionally well, defeating the then vice-champions of the world, Hungary, 4–2. This match marked the last game of interwar Poland, as Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, igniting World War II.

During the war, Kałuża, one of the few officials of the Polish Football Federation (PZPN), stayed in his homeland, where he died in 1944. In 1946, to honor him, PZPN started organising the Józef Kałuża Cup, but the initiative was abandoned after a few years. Józef Piłsudski's Cracovia Stadium is situated on Kałuża Street.

Honours Cracovia Polish Football Championship: 1921

Individual Polish Football Championship top scorer: 1921