Former Poland international and ŁKS winger Jacek Ziober dies at 60
Former Poland winger and 1990 Polish Footballer of the Year Jacek Ziober has died at the age of 60 following serious illness, ŁKS Łódź tradition custodian Jacek Bogusiak announced on Tuesday.
Early career and breakthrough at ŁKS Łódź
Former Polish national team winger and ŁKS Łódź standout Jacek Ziober died on the morning of 6 October 2026 at the age of 60 following a period of serious illness. Born on 18 November 1965 in Łódź, Ziober joined the club after youth coach Włodzimierz Tylak discovered him playing on a school pitch. Ziober frequently credited Tylak with guiding his early development, which culminated in winning the 1983 Polish junior championship with ŁKS alongside teammates Jarosław Bako and Juliusz Kruszankin.
Senior team manager Leszek Jezierski showed faith in the teenager, handing Ziober his top-tier Ekstraklasa debut before his seventeenth birthday. Ziober quickly became a central figure for the Łódź outfit, earning praise for his pace, aggressive runs, and willingness to take on defenders in one-on-one situations. He played more than 200 matches across eight seasons for the club.
National team career and 1990 recognition
National team manager Wojciech Łazarek gave Ziober his senior international debut on 23 March 1988 in a 1:1 friendly draw against Northern Ireland at Windsor Park in Belfast. Ziober featured until the 64th minute in a lineup that included Damian Łukasik, Ryszard Komornicki, and Dariusz Dziekanowski, as Łazarek worked to assemble a squad for the 1990 World Cup qualifying campaign in Italy.
Between 1988 and 1993, Ziober earned between 46 and 47 caps for Poland, scoring eight goals. One of his standout appearances came in 1990 against the United States, when he assisted a goal by Roman Kosecki and subsequently scored one himself. In 1990, the weekly magazine Piłka Nożna voted him Polish Footballer of the Year. Despite establishing himself as one of Poland's most prominent footballers of the late 1980s and early 1990s, he never played in a final tournament of either the World Cup or the European Championship.
European moves and American career finale
Following his domestic success in 1990, Ziober transferred to French club Montpellier HSC for 1.82 million dollars, setting a long-standing financial record for ŁKS. He spent four seasons playing in France with Montpellier before continuing his European career in Spain with Osasuna Pamplona.
- Wins the Polish junior championship with ŁKS Łódź under coach Włodzimierz Tylak
- Debuts for the senior Poland national team against Northern Ireland in Belfast
- Named Polish Footballer of the Year and transfers to Montpellier HSC for 1.82 million dollars
- Appointed head coach of the Poland national beach soccer team
- Takes over as manager of Zgoda Chodecz Beach Soccer Team
- Dies at age 60 following serious illness
After concluding his spell in Western Europe, Ziober returned to domestic competition in Poland with Amica Wronki. He finished his professional playing career in the United States with Tampa Bay Mutiny between 1998 and 1999, when persistent injury problems forced him to retire.
Beach soccer and managerial roles
Following his retirement from active play, Ziober remained in the sport by shifting into managerial work. He developed a strong connection to beach soccer, taking charge of the Poland national beach soccer team between 2003 and 2007. He subsequently managed lower-division Polish football clubs, including Górnik Łęczyca, before returning to sand football in 2019 to manage the Zgoda Chodecz Beach Soccer Team.
News of Ziober's death was announced on Tuesday by Jacek Bogusiak, the custodian of ŁKS traditions.
He died in the morning, in recent times he was seriously ill.
