Edmund Jan Zientara (25 January 1929 – 3 August 2010) was a Polish football player and manager. As a player, Zientara played as a midfielder at both professional and international levels, and participated at the 1960 Summer Olympics, before becoming a football manager.

Early life

Zientara was born on 25 January 1929 in Warsaw. His father was Aleksander Zientara, a Polish military hero during World War II.

Career

Playing career

Zientara made his professional debut in 1947 for Polonia Warsaw, and he also played for Legia Warsaw, Lublinianka, Gwardia Warszawa and Polonia SC Melbourne before retiring in 1964.

Between 1950 and 1961, Zientara earned forty caps for the Polish national team, including nineteen as captain. He represented Poland at the 1960 Summer Olympics, making three appearances in the tournament.

Coaching career

After retiring as a player, Zientara managed a number of Polish club sides, including Legia Warsaw, Pogoń Szczecin, Stal Mielec and Wisła Kraków.

In 1999 he was awarded the Officer's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta. He died on 3 August 2010 and was buried at the Bródno Cemetery in Warsaw.