Jan Furtok (9 March 1962 – 26 November 2024) was a Polish professional footballer who played as a striker.[1] Regarded as the greatest player in GKS Katowice's history,[2] he is the club's all-time best goalscorer.
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.[3]
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.[4] GKS retired the number 9 in honour of Furtok's service to the club.[5]
Furtok played for the Poland national team, scoring 10 goals across 36 appearances.[6] He was a participant at the 1986 FIFA World Cup.[7] His goal scored by hand rescued Poland from humiliating goalless home draw against San Marino in 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification.[8]
Furtok had been suffering from Alzheimer's for years. He was diagnosed in 2015.[9] Furtok died on 26 November 2024, at the age of 62.[10][9] 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.[11]
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.[12] 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.[13]
In May 2025, he was inducted into the Ekstraklasa Hall of Fame.[14]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Total | 36[7] | 10 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 December 1985 | Altay Alsancak Stadium, İzmir, Turkey |  Turkey |
1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 2 | 18 March 1987 | Municipal Stadium, Rybnik, Poland |  Finland |
3–1 | 3–1 | Friendly |
| 3 | 24 March 1987 | Olympic Stadium, Wrocław, Poland |  Norway |
1–0 | 4–1 | Friendly |
| 4 | 24 August 1988 | Municipal Stadium, Białystok, Poland |  Bulgaria |
2–0 | 3–2 | Friendly |
| 5 | 21 September 1988 | Stadion der Freundschaft, Cottbus, East Germany |  East Germany |
1–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 6 | 2–1 | |||||
| 7 | 2 May 1989 | Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway | Norway |
1–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 8 | 2–0 | |||||
| 9 | 16 October 1991 | Municipal Stadium, Poznań, Poland |  Republic of Ireland |
2–3 | 3–3 | UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying |
| 10 | 28 April 1993 | Widzew Stadium, Łódź, Poland |  San Marino |
1–0 | 1–0 | 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification |
|  | |
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