In brief

• Zdzisław Kostrzewiński, a former Widzew Łódź midfielder and captain, has died at the age of 80, the club announced on Saturday.
• He was part of the Widzew side that reached the top flight in 1975 and later won the club's first runners-up title and first European qualification.
• Kostrzewiński captained Widzew in its 1977 UEFA Cup debut against Manchester City.
• Zbigniew Boniek paid tribute, calling him a close colleague and a firm defender who helped build the great Widzew side.

Club announces death before league fixture

Widzew Łódź said on Saturday that Zdzisław Kostrzewiński died at the age of 80. The club released the news shortly before its PKO Ekstraklasa match against GKS Katowice, describing him as one of the leaders of the side that rose to the top flight in 1975 and later won the club's first runners-up title and its first European qualification (Nie żyje Zdzisław Kostrzewiński. Legendę Widzewa Łódź żegna Zbigniew Boniek – RMF24) (Widzew przekazał smutne wieści. Nie żyje legenda klubu – SportoweFakty) (Widzew w żałobie. Nie żyje legenda klubu – meczyki.pl). He was a club product and was named a legend of the club (W wieku 80 lat zmarł Zdzisław Kostrzewiński. Zbigniew Boniek: Brał udział w budowaniu wielkiego Widzewa | Transfery.info – transfery.info) (Nie żyje legenda Widzewa Łódź. Poruszające słowa Zbigniewa Bońka - Super Sport – supersport.se.pl).

Career at Widzew

Born on 26 November 1945, Kostrzewiński began his career in Widzew's youth ranks in the late 1950s, initially as a midfielder. He later spent time at ŁKS Łódź and Zawisza Bydgoszcz before returning to Widzew in the early 1970s (Nie żyje legenda Widzewa Łódź. Zdzisław Kostrzewiński miał 80 lat – Interia Sport). He helped the team win promotion from the third tier and was among the core players under coach Leszek Jezierski, who led the side to the top flight in the 1974/75 season.

According to club figures cited in the reports, he played 178 matches for Widzew. Between 1975 and 1978 he appeared in 82 top-flight games and scored three goals there, while another tally puts his total for the club at about 188 matches and 12 goals in all competitions.

European debut against Manchester City

His best-known moment came in 1977, when Widzew made its European debut in the UEFA Cup against Manchester City. Kostrzewiński captained the team in that tie.

Tributes

Former Poland captain and ex-PZPN president Zbigniew Boniek wrote on X that Kostrzewiński was one of "our gang" who helped build the great Widzew side, describing him as a close colleague and a firm defender (Smutne wieści przed meczem. Nie żyje Zdzisław Kostrzewiński. Widzew w żałobie, Boniek: Jeden z naszej bandy – gol24.pl).