{{Short description|Polish footballer (1962–2024)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Jan Furtok | image = FURTOK (3x4 cropped).jpg | caption = Furtok in 2010 | full_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1962|3|9}} | birth_place = Katowice, Poland | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2024|11|26|1962|3|9}} | death_place = Katowice, Poland | height = 1.74 m | position = Striker | youthyears1 = 1976–1977 | youthclubs1 = MK Górnik Katowice | youthyears2 = 1977–1978 | youthclubs2 = GKS Katowice | years1 = 1979–1988 | clubs1 = GKS Katowice | caps1 = 169 | goals1 = 77 | years2 = 1988–1993 | clubs2 = Hamburger SV | caps2 = 135 | goals2 = 51 | years3 = 1993–1995 | clubs3 = Eintracht Frankfurt | caps3 = 53 | goals3 = 9 | years4 = 1995–1998 | clubs4 = GKS Katowice | caps4 = 40 | goals4 = 8 | totalcaps = 397 | totalgoals = 145 | nationalyears1 = 1984–1993 | nationalteam1 = Poland | nationalcaps1 = 36 | nationalgoals1 = 10 | manageryears1 = 2005 | managerclubs1 = GKS Katowice }}
'''Jan Furtok''' (9 March 1962 – 26 November 2024) was a Polish professional footballer who played as a striker.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/bundesliga/vereine/1994-95/10828/vereinsspieler_jan-furtok.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121017172931/http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/bundesliga/vereine/1994-95/10828/vereinsspieler_jan-furtok.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = 17 October 2012 | title = Furtok, Jan | language = de | publisher = Kicker | access-date = 23 April 2011}}</ref> Regarded as the greatest player in GKS Katowice's history,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sroka |first1=Jacek |title=Takiego Jana Furtoka pamiętamy. Wspomnienie legendy GKS Katowice |url=https://gol24.pl/takiego-jana-furtoka-pamietamy-wspomnienie-legendy-gks-katowice/ar/c2p2-27029561 |website=gol24.pl |access-date=30 November 2024 |language=pl |date=29 November 2024}}</ref> he is the club's all-time best goalscorer.
==Career== Born in Katowice, Furtok spent the early and latter parts of his career playing for his hometown club GKS Katowice, with a seven-year stint in (West) German clubs Hamburger SV and Eintracht Frankfurt in-between.<ref>{{Cite web | url = https://www.rsssf.org/players/furtokdata.html | title = Jan Furtok – Matches and Goals in Bundesliga | first = Matthias | last = Arnhold | date = 25 August 2016 | access-date = 8 September 2016 | publisher = RSSSF}}</ref>
With GKS, he won the 1985–86 Polish Cup, the club's first major domestic achievement. He then led the Silesian side to third-place and second-place finishes in the 1986–87 and 1987–88 league campaigns, accordingly. With 122 goals in 299 appearances across all competitions, he is the best goalscorer in GKS Katowice's history.<ref>{{cite web |title=W Katowicach pożegnano Jana Furtoka |url=https://sport.tvp.pl/83741483/w-katowicach-pozegnano-jana-furtoka |website=sport.tvp.pl |access-date=30 November 2024 |language=pl |date=29 November 2024}}</ref> GKS retired the number 9 in honour of Furtok's service to the club.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Malinowski |first1=Marcin |title=Furtok: Nie czułem się dumny |url=https://igol.pl/furtok-nie-czulem-sie-dumny/ |website=igol.pl |access-date=30 November 2024 |language=pl |date=19 February 2013}}</ref>
Furtok played for the Poland national team, scoring 10 goals across 36 appearances.<ref>{{Cite web | url = https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/furtok-intl.html | title = Jan Furtok – International Appearances | first = Matthias | last = Arnhold | date = 25 August 2016 | access-date = 8 September 2016 | publisher = RSSSF}}</ref> He was a participant at the 1986 FIFA World Cup.<ref name="x361">{{cite web | title=Jan Furtok | website=Munzinger Biographie | url=https://www.munzinger.de/register/portrait/biographien/furtok%20jan/01/2739 | language=de | access-date=26 November 2024}}</ref> His goal scored by hand rescued Poland from humiliating goalless home draw against San Marino in 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification.<ref name="v251">{{cite web | last=Furtok | first=Jan | last2=Furtok | first2=Anna | title=Biblioteka Piłkarstwa Polskiego | website=Biblioteka Piłkarstwa Polskiego | date=28 April 1993 | url=https://www.laczynaspilka.pl/biblioteka/kroniki/chlopak-z-katowic | language=pl | access-date=26 November 2024}}</ref>
==Death== Furtok had been suffering from Alzheimer's for years. He was diagnosed in 2015.<ref name="v454" /> Furtok died on 26 November 2024, at the age of 62.<ref>{{cite news |title=Zmarł Jan Furtok. Były reprezentant Polski miał 62 lata |url=https://sport.interia.pl/pilka-nozna/news-zmarl-jan-furtok-byly-reprezentant-polski-mial-62-lata,nId,7863768 |access-date=26 November 2024 |publisher=Interia Sport |date=26 November 2024}}</ref><ref name="v454">{{cite web | title=Ehemaliger HSV- und Eintracht-Stürmer: Jan Furtok ist tot | website=Der Spiegel | date=26 November 2024 | url=https://www.spiegel.de/sport/fussball/fussball-jan-furtok-ex-stuermer-fuer-hamburger-sv-und-eintracht-frankfurt-ist-tot-a-722f2443-c742-4b58-a381-f9eb7f243c85 | language=de | access-date=26 November 2024}}</ref> Posthumously, the President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, awarded him the Officer's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta. His funeral took place on 29 November 2024 at the cemetery of the Holy Trinity Parish in Katowice. The ceremony was attended by prominent figures, including Jan Urban, Jerzy Brzęczek, Lukas Podolski, and representatives from GKS Katowice and Górnik Zabrze.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pogrzeb Jana Furtoka. Piłkarz pośmiertnie odznaczony. Poruszające sceny na oczach gwiazd |url=https://sport.interia.pl/pilka-nozna/news-jan-furtok-z-posmiertnym-odznaczeniem-wzruszajace-sceny-wszy,nId,7866071 |access-date=2024-11-30 |website=sport.interia.pl |language=pl}}</ref>
== Commemoration == On 29 November 2024, the Polish Football Association announced that all matches of the I, II, and III leagues played between 29 November and 2 December would be preceded by a minute of silence in memory of Furtok.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Minuta ciszy przed meczami Betclic 1., 2. oraz 3. Ligi |url=https://pzpn.pl/federacja/aktualnosci/2024-11-29/minuta-ciszy-przed-meczami-betclic-1-2-oraz-3-ligi |access-date=2024-12-01 |website=Polish Football Association |language=pl}}</ref> A similar announcement was made by the Ekstraklasa. However, the minute of silence for Furtok was not observed by Ruch Chorzów before their match against Odra Opole, which sparked controversy and various reactions from fans and the public.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-01 |title=Ruch Chorzów nie uczcił pamięci Jana Furtoka, choć minutę ciszy na meczach ogłosił PZPN. Klub z Cichej nie komentuje tej decyzji |url=https://gol24.pl/ruch-chorzow-nie-uczcil-pamieci-jana-furtoka-choc-minute-ciszy-na-meczach-oglosil-pzpn-klub-z-cichej-nie-komentuje-tej-decyzji/ar/c2p2-27044363 |website=gol24.pl}}</ref>
In May 2025, he was inducted into the Ekstraklasa Hall of Fame.<ref name=HOF>{{cite web |title=Trzy statuetki dla Lecha Poznań. Wybrano najlepszych w sezonie 2024/25 |url=https://www.ekstraklasa.org/aktualnosci/20024/trzy-statuetki-dla-lecha-poznan-wybrano-najlepszych-w-sezonie-2024-25 |publisher=Ekstraklasa |access-date=26 May 2025 |language=pl |date=26 May 2025 }}{{Dead link|date=September 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
==Career statistics== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by national team and year |- !National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="10"|Poland |1984||1||0 |- |1985||3||1 |- |1986||3||0 |- |1987||4||2 |- |1988||6||3 |- |1989||5||2 |- |1990||3||0 |- |1991||6||1 |- |1992||0||0 |- |1993||5||1 |- !colspan="2"|Total!!36<ref name="x361" />!!10 |}
:''Scores and results list Poland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Furtok goal.''
{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ List of international goals scored by Jan Furtok |- !scope="col"|No. !scope="col"|Date !scope="col"|Venue !scope="col"|Opponent !scope="col"|Score !scope="col"|Result !scope="col"|Competition |- | align="center"|1 || 11 December 1985 || Altay Alsancak Stadium, İzmir, Turkey || {{fb|TUR}} || align="center"|1–0 || align="center"|1–1 || Friendly |- | align="center"|2 || 18 March 1987 || Municipal Stadium, Rybnik, Poland || {{fb|FIN}} || align="center"|3–1 || align="center"|3–1 || Friendly |- | align="center"|3 || 24 March 1987 || Olympic Stadium, Wrocław, Poland || {{fb|NOR}} || align="center"|1–0 || align="center"|4–1 || Friendly |- | align="center"|4 || 24 August 1988 || Municipal Stadium, Białystok, Poland || {{fb|BUL|1971}} || align="center"|2–0 || align="center"|3–2 || Friendly |- | align="center"|5 || rowspan="2"|21 September 1988 || rowspan="2"|Stadion der Freundschaft, Cottbus, East Germany || rowspan="2"|{{fb|GDR}} || align="center"|1–1 || rowspan="2" align="center"|2–1 || rowspan="2"|Friendly |- | align="center"|6 || align="center"|2–1 |- | align="center"|7 || rowspan="2"|2 May 1989 || rowspan="2"|Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway || rowspan="2"|{{fb|NOR}} || align="center"|1–0 || rowspan="2" align="center"|3–0 || rowspan="2"|Friendly |- | align="center"|8 || align="center"|2–0 |- | align="center"|9 || 16 October 1991 || Municipal Stadium, Poznań, Poland || {{fb|IRL}} || align="center"|2–3 || align="center"|3–3 || UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying |- | align="center"|10 || 28 April 1993 || Widzew Stadium, Łódź, Poland || {{fb|SMR|1862}} || align="center"|1–0 || align="center"|1–0 || 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification |}
==Honours== '''GKS Katowice''' * Polish Cup: 1985–86<ref name="x361" />
'''Individual''' * Polish Newcomer of the Year: 1984<ref>{{cite web |title=Laureaci |url=https://pilkanozna.pl/laureaci/ |website=pilkanozna.pl |access-date=16 July 2024 |language=pl}}</ref> '''Individual''' * Ekstraklasa Hall of Fame: 2025<ref name=HOF/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Fussballdaten|furtokjan}} * {{WorldFootball.net|jan-furtok}} * {{NFT|15906}} * {{cite web | title=Spielerprofil | website=DFB Datencenter | url=https://datencenter.dfb.de/datencenter/personen/jan-furtok/spieler | language=de | ref={{sfnref|DFB Datencenter}} | access-date=26 November 2024}}
{{Poland squad 1986 FIFA World Cup}} {{Polish Newcomer of the Year Award}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Furtok, Jan}} Category:1962 births Category:2024 deaths Category:Footballers from Katowice Category:Polish men's footballers Category:Men's association football forwards Category:Poland men's international footballers Category:1986 FIFA World Cup players Category:GKS Katowice players Category:Hamburger SV players Category:Eintracht Frankfurt players Category:Ekstraklasa players Category:Bundesliga players Category:Polish football managers Category:GKS Katowice managers Category:Polish expatriate men's footballers Category:Polish expatriate sportspeople in Germany Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Germany Category:Expatriate men's footballers in West Germany Category:Polish expatriate sportspeople in West Germany Category:Officers of the Order of Polonia Restituta Category:Polish sports executives and administrators Category:Polish football executives Category:Association football players with retired numbers Category:20th-century Polish sportsmen