Polish football rocked after sudden death of assistant national coach Jacek Magiera, 49

Poland’s football community is in shock after assistant national coach Jacek Magiera died at 49 following a collapse during a run.

Magiera, one of Poland’s best-known coaches, was rushed to a military hospital in the southwestern city of Wrocław where doctors fought to save his life.

The Polish Football Association (PZPN) said it had received the news “with deep sadness and great regret.”

“Family, Friends and Loved Ones of Jacek Magiera are offered the sincerest condolences from the PZPN,” the federation said.

Polish league organizers said all matches in the current Ekstraklasa round would be preceded by a minute’s silence in his memory.

PZPN president Cezary Kulesza described the death as sudden and shocking.

“I received the information about the death of Jacek Magiera with great sadness and disbelief. It is difficult to find the right words in the face of such a sudden and completely unexpected loss,” he said.

“Jacek was an exceptional footballer, a great coach, but above all a very good person you could always rely on,” Kulesza added.

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Polish football rocked after sudden death of assistant national coach Jacek Magiera, 49
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Tymon Miller
Edited by Ed Wight
10.04.2026, 12:13
Jacek Magiera was one of Poland’s most popular coaches. (PAP/Leszek Szymański)
Jacek Magiera was one of Poland’s most popular coaches. (PAP/Leszek Szymański)
Poland’s football community is in shock after assistant national coach Jacek Magiera died at 49 following a collapse during a run.

Magiera, one of Poland’s best-known coaches, was rushed to a military hospital in the southwestern city of Wrocław where doctors fought to save his life.

The Polish Football Association (PZPN) said it had received the news “with deep sadness and great regret.”

“Family, Friends and Loved Ones of Jacek Magiera are offered the sincerest condolences from the PZPN,” the federation said.

Polish league organizers said all matches in the current Ekstraklasa round would be preceded by a minute’s silence in his memory.

PZPN president Cezary Kulesza described the death as sudden and shocking.

“I received the information about the death of Jacek Magiera with great sadness and disbelief. It is difficult to find the right words in the face of such a sudden and completely unexpected loss,” he said.

“Jacek was an exceptional footballer, a great coach, but above all a very good person you could always rely on,” Kulesza added.

Jacek Magiera is the last Polish manager to coach a team in the UEFA Champions League. (PAP archive)
Jacek Magiera is the last Polish manager to coach a team in the UEFA Champions League. (PAP archive)
Magiera had been serving as assistant to national team head coach Jan Urban since July 2025, part of a broader effort to rebuild Poland’s squad after recent tournament disappointments.

Emil Kopański, spokesman for the Polish national team, said: “I don’t know what to say. I simply don’t know. In times like these, it’s impossible to find the right words. I only ask for prayers for the coach. A coach who was (how difficult it is to write this in the past tense) a wonderful man. Carry his thoughts with you. Honor his memory.”

Former colleagues and clubs, including Legia Warsaw and Widzew Łódź, honored him as a mentor and a “good human being” who treated players as people rather than just athletes.

Accomplished career

He enjoyed a long career in Polish football, first as a player and later as a coach.

A homegrown player for southern club Raków Częstochowa, he rose to prominence at the capital’s Legia Warsaw – Poland’s most successful club – where he won two league titles as a player.

He went on to coach Legia, leading them to the Polish championship in the 2016/17 season and into the group stage of the UEFA Champions League, Europe’s top club competition.

Magiera also worked extensively with Poland’s youth national teams, guiding the under-20 side to the knockout stage of the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup, and later managed Poland’s Silesian club Śląsk Wrocław, finishing runner-up in the top domestic league in the 2023/24 season.

In total, he made 233 appearances in Poland’s top division as a player, scoring 25 goals, and captained youth national teams that achieved success in European and world competitions in the early 1990s.