Czesław Michniewicz (Polish pronunciation: [ˈt͡ʂɛswaf mixˈɲɛvit͡ʂ];[citation needed] born 12 February 1970) is a Polish professional football manager and former player who most recently managed Botola Pro side AS FAR. He managed the Poland national team in 2022.

Czesław Michniewicz
Michniewicz with Legia Warszawa in 2021
Personal information
Full name Czesław Michniewicz[1]
Date of birth (1970-02-12) 12 February 1970 (age 54)
Place of birth Byarozawka, Byelorussian SSR, Soviet Union
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1978–1985 Ossa Biskupiec Pomorski
1985–1993 Bałtyk Gdynia
1993–1996 Polonia Gdańsk
1996–2000 Amica Wronki 9 (0)
Managerial career
2003–2006 Lech Poznań
2006–2007 Zagłębie Lubin
2008–2009 Arka Gdynia
2010–2011 Widzew Łódź
2011 Jagiellonia Białystok
2012 Polonia Warsaw
2013 Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała
2015–2016 Pogoń Szczecin
2016–2017 Bruk-Bet Termalica Nieciecza
2017–2020 Poland U21
2020–2021 Legia Warsaw
2022 Poland
2023 Abha
2024 AS FAR
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Managerial career

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Early years

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In September 2003, Michniewicz was appointed as the manager of Lech Poznań. He led the side to the 2003–04 Polish Cup and Polish Super Cup titles. He left the club in June 2006. In October 2006, he was appointed manager of Ekstraklasa side Zagłębie Lubin, leading the club to the 2006–07 league title. In October 2007, he was relieved of his duties. From 8 July 2008 to 12 April 2009 he managed Arka Gdynia in the Ekstraklasa. From 15 November 2010 until 30 June 2011, he managed Widzew Łódź.[2] On 22 July 2011, he was appointed as the manager of Jagiellonia Białystok, but left the position on 22 December 2011 by mutual consent. On 28 March 2012, Michniewicz was named as the new coach of Polonia Warsaw, which he led until 8 May 2012.[3]

 
Michniewicz managing Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała in 2013

From 22 March to 22 October 2013, he managed Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała. After a year and a half pause, he was hired as the coach of Pogoń Szczecin. Michniewicz's side finished the league at sixth place in the 2015–16 season. Despite the best result in years, his contract was not renewed and he left the club on 30 June 2016. From 1 July 2016 to 22 March 2017, he was in charge of Bruk-Bet Termalica Nieciecza in Ekstraklasa.

Poland national under-21 football team

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On 7 July 2017, he was appointed as the coach of the Poland under-21 national team. After defeating Portugal in the play-offs, Poland under his leadership qualified for the first time since 1994 for the final tournament of the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. On 15 October 2020, he was replaced by Maciej Stolarczyk.[4]

Legia Warsaw

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On 21 September 2020, he was appointed as the coach of Legia Warsaw.[5] In his debut Legia won 2–0 over FC Drita at the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League qualifiers. On 18 October 2020, he made his Ekstraklasa debut, as Legia won 2–1 over Zagłębie Lubin.[6] On 11 December 2020, he was named Ekstraklasa's Coach of the Month after Legia's successful run in November.[7] He was awarded the same distinction for March 2021, as his team completed the campaign in the above-mentioned month without any defeat.[8] On 28 April 2021, Michniewicz won his second Polish Championship after 0–0 draw between Jagiellonia Białystok and Raków Częstochowa (as the latter team had already lost mathematical chances of catching up with Legia), with three games to spare.[9]

On 26 August 2021, Legia led by Michniewicz defeated SK Slavia Prague, and for the first time in five years qualified for the group stages of a European cup.[10] They would face Leicester City, Napoli and Spartak Moscow in the UEFA Europa League group stage.[11]

Although Legia led their group after wins against Spartak Moscow and Leicester City,[12] they struggled in the league. After four consecutive defeats, managing nine points in ten fixtures and sitting 15th in the table,[13] Michniewicz was dismissed on 25 October 2021.[14]

Poland national team

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On 31 January 2022, Michniewicz was named as the new manager of Poland, signing a deal until 31 December 2022 with an extension option,[15] following the previous manager Paulo Sousa's decision to join Flamengo three months before Poland's first 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification play-offs game.[16] He was scheduled to make his debut against Russia in Moscow,[17] prior to the disqualification of Russia.[18] On 24 March, Poland played their first match under Michniewicz, a 1–1 draw in a friendly against Scotland.[19]

On 29 March 2022, Michniewicz led Poland to a 2–0 victory over Sweden in the World Cup qualification play-off final.[20] On 30 November 2022, Poland advanced to the knockout stage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1986 under the lead of Michniewicz.[21]

On 22 December 2022, following criticism of the national team's defensive tactics and style of play under Michniewicz by the media,[22] a turmoil regarding bonuses for national team players and staff,[23] Michniewicz blocking several journalists on Twitter before deleting his account,[24] and reportedly shouldering part of the blame for the media fallout on team manager Jakub Kwiatkowski,[25] it was announced Michniewicz's contract would not be extended and he was to leave his post on 31 December 2022.[26]

Abha

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On 12 June 2023, Michniewicz was announced as the new manager of Saudi club Abha.[27] Following a good start to his stint, Abha suffered four straight league defeats in September, which led to Michniewicz's dismissal on 1 October 2023.[28]

AS FAR

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On 13 July 2024, Michniewicz became the head coach of Moroccan side AS FAR.[29] On 22 September that year, he led the club to successfully qualify for the 2024–25 CAF Champions League, marking their return to the competition after 17 years of absence.[30] On 15 October, with a record of four wins, three draws and two losses across all competitions, Michniewicz and AS FAR agreed to mutually part ways.[31]

Personal life

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Michniewicz in 2010

Michniewicz was born in Byarozawka, then in the Byelorussian SSR, Soviet Union (present-day Belarus), while his mother was visiting her family; but grew up in Biskupiec, Poland.[32] On 20 June 1998, he married Grażyna Rzewuska, with whom he has two sons: Mateusz (born 22 January 2001) and Jakub (born 13 August 2003).[33]

Managerial statistics

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As of 15 October 2024[34]
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team Nation From To Record
G W D L Win %
Lech Poznań   15 September 2003 17 May 2006 108 45 27 36 041.67
Zagłębie Lubin   3 October 2006 22 October 2007 37 21 7 9 056.76
Arka Gdynia   8 July 2008 12 April 2009 33 12 10 11 036.36
Widzew Łódź   15 November 2010 22 June 2011 17 8 4 5 047.06
Jagiellonia Białystok   22 July 2011 22 November 2011 18 6 4 8 033.33
Polonia Warsaw   28 March 2012 9 May 2012 7 2 1 4 028.57
Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała   22 March 2013 22 October 2013 24 7 8 9 029.17
Pogoń Szczecin   9 April 2015 17 May 2016 49 15 18 16 030.61
Bruk-Bet Termalica Nieciecza   6 June 2016 22 March 2017 27 10 6 11 037.04
Poland U21   7 July 2017 14 October 2020 27 14 7 6 051.85
Legia Warsaw   21 September 2020 25 October 2021 55 31 11 13 056.36
Poland   31 January 2022 31 December 2022 13 5 3 5 038.46
Abha   12 June 2023 1 October 2023 9 3 0 6 033.33
AS FAR   13 July 2024 15 October 2024 9 4 3 2 044.44
Total 434 183 109 142 042.17

Honours

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Player

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Amica Wronki

Manager

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Lech Poznań

Zagłebie Lubin

Legia Warsaw

Individual

References

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  1. ^ "Squad List: FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: Poland (POL)" (PDF). FIFA. 18 December 2022. p. 21. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  2. ^ Michniewicz nowym trenerem Widzewa 15 November 2010, wp.pl
  3. ^ "Polonia replace Zielinski with Michniewicz". FIFA.com. 28 March 2012. Archived from the original on 6 April 2012.
  4. ^ "Maciej Stolarczyk trenerem reprezentacji młodzieżowej" (in Polish). 90minut.pl. 15 October 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  5. ^ "Czesław Michniewicz trenerem Legii" (in Polish). 90minut.pl. 21 September 2020. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  6. ^ "Legia odrabia straty" (in Polish). 90minut.pl. 18 October 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  7. ^ "Trener Listopada 2020: Czesław Michniewicz" (in Polish). Ekstraklasa. 11 December 2020. Archived from the original on 11 December 2020. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  8. ^ "Trener Marca 2021: Czesław Michniewicz" (in Polish). Ekstraklasa. 8 April 2021. Archived from the original on 8 April 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  9. ^ "Legia mistrzem Polski". 90minut.pl. 28 April 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  10. ^ "Legia Warszawa w fazie grupowej Ligi Europy. Slavia Praga odprawiona na Łazienkowskiej". PolskieRadio24.pl (in Polish).
  11. ^ "Europa League draw: Legia Warsaw to play Napoli, Leicester, Spartak". PolskieRadio.pl.
  12. ^ "Liga Europy: Szalony mecz w grupie Legii Warszawa. Leicester wygrało w Moskwie". www.polsatsport.pl (in Polish). 20 October 2021.
  13. ^ "Kolejna porażka Legii w lidze. "Wojskowi" ulegli Piastowi 1:4". www.rdc.pl (in Polish).
  14. ^ "Komunikat klubu w sprawie zmian w sztabie szkoleniowym" (in Polish). Legia Warsaw. 25 October 2021.
  15. ^ "Czesław Michniewicz selekcjonerem reprezentacji Polski" (Press release) (in Polish). Polish Press Agency. 31 January 2022. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  16. ^ "Portugal's Paulo Sousa leaves Poland to be Flamengo coach". France 24. 29 December 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  17. ^ "Reprezentacja Polski. Czesław Michniewicz: jesteśmy delikatnym faworytem w starciu z Rosją" (in Polish). TVP Sport. 1 February 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  18. ^ "Fifa and Uefa suspend all Russian teams". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  19. ^ "Wynik lepszy niż gra. Polacy zawiedli w debiucie Michniewicza" (in Polish). TVP Info. 24 March 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  20. ^ "Mistrzostwa świata 2022. Reprezentacja Polski pokonała Szwecję i pojedzie na mundial w Katarze" [The 2022 World Cup. The Polish national team defeated Sweden and will play at the World Cup in Qatar] (in Polish). TVP Info. 29 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  21. ^ Phil Hay (30 November 2022). "How Argentina advanced out of Group C in victory over Poland: Live World Cup updates". The Athletic.
  22. ^ "Czesław Michniewicz odpiera krytykę. "Zasłużyliśmy na nagrodę"". sportowefakty.wp.pl (in Polish). 3 December 2022.
  23. ^ "Podwójna rola Jakuba Kwiatkowskiego. Nowe fakty ws. "afery premiowej"". sport.pl (in Polish). 21 December 2022.
  24. ^ "Reprezentacja Polski. Czesław Michniewicz zniknął z Twittera. "To konto nie istnieje"". gol24.pl (in Polish). 16 December 2022.
  25. ^ "Reprezentacja Polski. Media. Konflikt na linii Czesław Michniewicz – Jakub Kwiatkowski? Kolejne szokujące informacje". sport.tvp.pl (in Polish). 17 December 2022.
  26. ^ "Komunikat Polskiego Związku Piłki Nożnej 22.12.2022" (in Polish). Polski Związek Piłki Nożnej. 22 December 2022.
  27. ^ "Czesław Michniewicz nowym trenerem saudyjskiego Abha Club". eurosport.tvn24.pl (in Polish). 12 June 2023.
  28. ^ "Czesław Michniewicz zwolniony! Jest komunikat klubu". sport.fakt.pl (in Polish). 1 October 2023. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  29. ^ "Nowy zagraniczny klub Michniewicza. To wicemistrz kraju" (in Polish). TVP. 13 July 2024.
  30. ^ "Wielki sukces Michniewicza! Zagra w Afrykańskiej Lidze Mistrzów! Awans po wielu latach". pilkanozna.pl (in Polish). 23 September 2024. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  31. ^ Galiński, Tomasz (15 October 2024). "Oficjalnie: jest decyzja ws. Czesława Michniewicza". sportowefakty.wp.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  32. ^ Michniewicz, Czesław. "About me » About me." Official Website. Poznań: Sportwin. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  33. ^ Michniewicz, Czesław. "About me » Family". Official Website. Poznań: Sportwin. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  34. ^ "Czesław Michniewicz career sheet". footballdatabase. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  35. ^ "Plebiscyt Tygodnika "Piłka Nożna" - Fabiański najlepszym zawodnikiem 2018 roku" (in Polish). 3 February 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  36. ^ "Robert Lewandowski piłkarzem 2022 roku! Wyniki plebiscytu tygodnika "Piłka Nożna"". polsatsport.pl (in Polish). 21 January 2023. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  37. ^ "Widzewiacy najlepsi w maju w Ekstraklasie" (in Polish). Archived from the original on 15 August 2011.
  38. ^ "Trener Listopada 2020: Czesław Michniewicz" (in Polish). Ekstraklasa. 11 December 2020. Archived from the original on 11 December 2020. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  39. ^ "Trener Marca 2021: Czesław Michniewicz" (in Polish). Ekstraklasa. 8 April 2021. Archived from the original on 8 April 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
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