Wacław Kuchar

Wacław Kuchar
Personal information
Full name Wacław Michał Kuchar
Date of birth (1897-09-16)16 September 1897
Place of birth Łańcut, Poland
Date of death 13 February 1981(1981-02-13) (aged 83)
Place of death Warsaw, Poland
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1912–1935 Pogoń Lwów 198 (98)
Total 198 (98)
International career
1921–1928 Poland 23 (5)
Managerial career
1939–1941 Dynamo Lwów
1944–1945 Dynamo Lwów
1946 Polonia Bytom
1947–1949 Poland
1949–1953 Legia Warsaw
1953–1957 Polonia Warsaw
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Wacław Michał Kuchar (16 September 1897 – 13 February 1981) was a Polish sports champion, Olympian, and multiple football, track and field and speed skating champion of the country.

Kuchar excelled in many sports – track and field, football (firstly – as a forward, then as a midfielder, and finally at the end of his career – as a defender), skiing, speed skating and ice hockey. Even though born in Łańcut, his whole life was connected with Lwów, where he played for Pogoń Lwów – one of the most important and most popular sports clubs of interwar Poland. After finishing his career, he became a referee, coach and sports official. To this day Kuchar is regarded as an excellent example of fair play.

In 1926, in a poll held by the Polish sports daily Przegląd Sportowy, Kuchar was chosen as the athlete of the year. A year later he came in 10th in the same poll. In 1924, at the Paris Olympic Games, he played on the Poland national football team.