{{Short description|Polish footballer (born 1966)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Roman Kosecki | image = Roman Kosecki (6216818893).jpg | caption = Kosecki in 2011 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1966|2|15}} | birth_place = Piaseczno, Poland | height = 1.72 m<ref>{{Cite web|last=mlssoccer|title=Roman Kosecki {{!}} MLSsoccer.com|url=https://www.mlssoccer.com/players/roman-kosecki/|access-date=2022-01-08|work=MLSsoccer.com|language=en}}</ref> | position = Forward | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = | years1 = 1982–1983 | years2 = 1983–1986 | years3 = 1986–1988 | years4 = 1988–1990 | years5 = 1990–1992 | years6 = 1992–1993 | years7 = 1993–1995 | years8 = 1995–1996 | years9 = 1996–1997 | years10 = 1997–1998 | years11 = 1998–1999 | clubs1 = RKS Mirków | clubs2 = RKS Ursus | clubs3 = Gwardia Warsaw | clubs4 = Legia Warsaw | clubs5 = Galatasaray | clubs6 = Osasuna | clubs7 = Atlético Madrid | clubs8 = FC Nantes | clubs9 = Montpellier | clubs10 = Legia Warsaw | clubs11 = Chicago Fire | caps1 = | caps2 = | caps3 = 60 | caps4 = 51 | caps5 = 38 | caps6 = 34 | caps7 = 59 | caps8 = 27 | caps9 = 19 | caps10 = 10 | caps11 = 50 | goals1 = | goals2 = | goals3 = 18 | goals4 = 12 | goals5 = 19 | goals6 = 8 | goals7 = 14 | goals8 = 2 | goals9 = 2 | goals10 = 0 | goals11 = 12 | nationalyears1 = | nationalteam1 = Poland U18 | nationalcaps1 = | nationalgoals1 = | nationalyears2 = 1988–1995 | nationalteam2 = Poland | nationalcaps2 = 69 | nationalgoals2 = 19 | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Men's football}} {{Medal|Country|{{fb|POL}}}} {{MedalCompetition|UEFA European Under-18 Championship}} {{Medal|3rd|1984 Soviet Union|}} }}
'''Roman Jacek Kosecki''' (born 15 February 1966) is a Polish former professional footballer who played as a striker. In 1994, he was voted the Polish Footballer of the Year.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.worldfootball.net/footballer_of_the_year/polen/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130912100349/http://www.worldfootball.net/footballer_of_the_year/polen/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 September 2013 |title=Player of the year – Poland |website=worldfootball.net |access-date=22 December 2024}}</ref>
==Career== In his club career, Kosecki played for RKS URSUS, Gwardia Warsaw, Legia Warsaw, Galatasaray, CA Osasuna, Atlético Madrid, Nantes, Montpellier, and the Chicago Fire.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=90 Minut|title=Roman Kosecki|url=http://www.90minut.pl/kariera.php?id=922|language=pl|access-date=29 January 2010}}</ref> Osasuna transferred Kosecki to Atlético Madrid after the 1992–93 La Liga season, the second most expensive transfer of a foreign player in that window.<ref>{{cite news|publisher=ABC|location=Madrid|title=Los países del Este aportan la mitad de los jugadores extranjeros en Primera|url=https://www.abc.es/archivo/periodicos/abc-madrid-19930830-59.html|language=es|date=30 August 1993}}</ref> After a successful year with Atlético Madrid and the Poland national team, Kosecki was chosen as the 1994 Polish footballer of the year by ''Piłka Nożna'' magazine.<ref>{{cite news|work=El País|title=Kosecki, 'futbolista del año' en Polonia|url=https://elpais.com/diario/1994/12/18/deportes/787705205_850215.html|language=es|date=18 December 1994}}</ref> He came to Major League Soccer in the Fire's inaugural season in 1998, joining fellow Polish internationals Peter Nowak and Jerzy Podbrozny.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Chicago Sun-Times|title=Meet the Fire: Roman Kosecki|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB423A0A1517213&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|date=16 June 1998}}</ref> Kosecki proceeded to score the first goal in Fire's history in a 2–0 win over the Miami Fusion. He then helped the club to the MLS Cup and U.S. Open Cup double. Kosecki played two seasons in MLS, scoring 12 goals and 19 assists in league play, before retiring as a player.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}}
For Poland, Kosecki was capped 69 times, scoring 19 goals between 1988 and 1995.<ref>{{cite web|author=Klukowski, Tomasz|title=Roman Kosecki – International Matches|publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation|url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/kosecki-intl.html|date=9 November 2002}}</ref>
He was a deputy (poseł) to the Polish Sejm from Civic Platform in 2005.<ref>{{cite news|publisher=Nasze Miasto|title=Roman Kosecki pierwszym kandydatem na prezesa PZPN|url=https://naszemiasto.pl/roman-kosecki-pierwszym-kandydatem-na-prezesa-pzpn/ar/c2-4488974|language=pl|date=29 June 2012}}</ref> Kosecki ran for the position of president of the PZPN in 2012 but lost to Polish soccer legend Zbigniew Boniek. Boniek however appointed him to vice president of youth development.
== Personal life == His son Jakub Kosecki is also a professional football player.
==Career statistics== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by national team and year |- !National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="8"|Poland |1988||7||3 |- |1989||13||2 |- |1990||15||5 |- |1991||9||1 |- |1992||6||4 |- |1993||7||0 |- |1994||5||2 |- |1995||7||2 |- !colspan="2"|Total!!69!!19 |}
::''Scores and results table. Poland's goal tally first:''
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:100%" align=center ! # !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Result !! Competition |- | 1 || 10 February 1988 || Tel Aviv, Israel || {{fb|Israel}} || 3–1 || Friendly |- | 2 || 13 July 1988 || New Britain, United States || {{fb|United States}} || 2–0 || Friendly |- | 3 || 13 July 1988 || New Britain, United States || {{fb|United States}} || 2–0 || Friendly |- | 4 || 8 February 1989 || San José, Costa Rica || {{fb|Costa Rica}} || 4–2 || Friendly |- | 5 || 14 February 1989 || Puebla, Mexico || {{fb|Mexico}} || 1–3 || Friendly |- | 6 || 11 February 1990 || Cairo, Egypt || {{fb|Kuwait}} || 1–1 || Friendly |- | 7 || 4 May 1990 || Chicago, United States || {{fb|Colombia}} || 1–2 || Friendly |- | 8 || 21 May 1990 || Marseille, France || {{fb|United Arab Emirates}} || 4–0 || Friendly |- | 9 || 10 October 1990 || Warsaw, Poland|| {{fb|United States}}|| 2–3 || Friendly |- | 10 || 19 December 1990 || Volos, Greece|| {{fb|Greece}}|| 2–1 || Friendly |- | 11 || 17 April 1991 || Warsaw, Poland|| {{fb|Turkey}}|| 3–0 || UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying |- | 12 || 19 May 1992 || Salzburg, Austria|| {{fb|Austria}}|| 4–2 || Friendly |- | 13 || 19 May 1992 || Salzburg, Austria || {{fb|Austria}}|| 4–2 || Friendly |- | 14 || 5 July 1992 || Guatemala City, Guatemala|| {{fb|Guatemala}}|| 2–2 || Friendly |- | 15 || 5 July 1992 || Guatemala City, Guatemala || {{fb|Guatemala}}|| 2–2 || Friendly |- | 16 || 9 February 1994 || Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain || {{fb|Spain}}|| 1–1 || Friendly |- | 17 || 4 September 1994 || Tel Aviv, Israel|| {{fb|Israel}}|| 1–2 || UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying |- | 18 || 25 April 1995 || Zabrze, Poland|| {{fb|Israel}}|| 4–3 || UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying |- | 19 || 7 June 1995 || Zabrze, Poland|| {{fb|Slovakia}}|| 5–0 || UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying |}
==Honours== '''Legia Warsaw'''<ref name="90m">{{cite web |title=Roman Kosecki |url=http://www.90minut.pl/kariera.php?id=922 |website=90minut.pl |access-date=15 February 2024 |language=pl}}</ref> * Polish Cup: 1988–89, 1989–90 * Polish Super Cup: 1990
'''Galatasaray'''<ref name="90m"/> * Turkish Cup: 1990–91 * Turkish Super Cup: 1991
'''Chicago Fire'''<ref name="90m"/> * MLS Cup: 1998 * U.S. Open Cup: 1998
'''Poland U18''' * UEFA European Under-18 Championship third place: 1984<ref name=90m/>
'''Individual''' * Polish Newcomer of the Year: 1988<ref name=PN>{{cite web |title=Laureaci |url=https://pilkanozna.pl/laureaci/ |website=pilkanozna.pl |access-date=16 July 2024 |language=pl}}</ref> * ''Piłka Nożna'' Polish Footballer of the Year: 1994<ref name=PN/> *MLS All-Star: 1999<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 17, 1999 |title=1999 MLS All-Star Game |url=https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/1999-mls-all-star-game-373142 |work=MLSsoccer.com |access-date=July 27, 2023}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Navboxes | title = Awards | bg = gold | fg = black | list1 = {{Polish Footballer of the Year}} {{Polish Newcomer of the Year Award}} }} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kosecki, Roman}} Category:1966 births Category:Living people Category:People from Piaseczno Category:Footballers from Masovian Voivodeship Category:Men's association football forwards Category:Polish men's footballers Category:Poland men's youth international footballers Category:Poland men's international footballers Category:Polish sports executives and administrators Category:Polish football executives Category:Gwardia Warsaw players Category:Legia Warsaw players Category:Galatasaray S.K. footballers Category:CA Osasuna players Category:Atlético Madrid footballers Category:FC Nantes players Category:Montpellier HSC players Category:Chicago Fire FC players Category:Ekstraklasa players Category:Ligue 1 players Category:La Liga players Category:Süper Lig players Category:Major League Soccer players Category:Polish expatriate men's footballers Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Turkey Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Spain Category:Expatriate men's footballers in France Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States Category:Polish expatriate sportspeople in Turkey Category:Polish expatriate sportspeople in Spain Category:Polish expatriate sportspeople in France Category:Polish expatriate sportspeople in the United States Category:Major League Soccer All-Stars Category:Civic Platform politicians Category:Polish sportsperson-politicians Category:Members of the Polish Sejm 2005–2007 Category:Members of the Polish Sejm 2007–2011 Category:Members of the Polish Sejm 2011–2015 Category:20th-century Polish sportsmen