Leon Sperling

Leon Sperling
Sperling (fourth from right) with Cracovia in 1921
Personal information
Date of birth (1900-08-07)7 August 1900
Place of birth Kraków, Austria-Hungary
Date of death c. 15 December 1941(1941-12-15) (aged 41)
Place of death Lwów Ghetto, Poland
Height 1.64 m (5 ft 5 in)
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1914–1916 Jutrzenka Kraków
1917 Cracovia
1918–1920 Jutrzenka Kraków
1920–1934 Cracovia
International career
1921–1930 Poland 16 (2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Leon Sperling (7 August 1900 – c. 15 December 1941) was a Polish footballer.

Sperling was born in Kraków, and was Jewish. He was a forward, playing on the left wing. Sperling represented Cracovia, the team he led in 1921, 1930, and 1932 to the Championship of Poland. He also played in 16 games for the Poland national team, including Poland's lone game at the 1924 Paris Olympic Games. He was regarded as a highly skilled dribbler. He also coached in Lviv. Sperling is one of Cracovia Kraków's legends.

Sperling was shot to death by the German Nazis in the Lwów Ghetto in December 1941. His Jewish teammate, Józef Klotz, was also killed in the Holocaust.