Karol Kossok

Karol Albert Kossok (28 January 1907 in Katowice – 11 March 1946 in a Soviet POW camp in East Germany). A Polish soccer forward, a.k.a. “the Silesian Giant”, Kossok was the best scorer of the Polish First Division in 1930 (with 24 goals).

Background Information

Kossok’s career started in a German-minority team FC Preussen Kattowitz (later 1. FC Kattowitz), then in 1929 he moved to Cracovia. Also, in 1931 he played for Pogoń Lwów - another powerhouse of interwar Polish soccer. After a lone season in Lwow, he returned to Cracovia, where he played until winning the 1937 championship.

Played 5 games for the Polish national team (including one in 1932 as an unassociated player), scoring 3 goals (first game on 1 July 1928 in Katowice, 2-1 against Sweden). His tall, heavy frame has deceived many defenders. Regarded by many as slow and sluggish, he was a natural killer in the penalty area and a very skilled dribbler. However, did not have enough strength and hardly managed to play his best for the whole 90 minutes. After finishing his career (due to several injuries), he became a coach in Cracovia,^[1] also helping Józef Kałuża with managing the national team.

During World War II, he signed the Volksliste, but his exact whereabouts at that time are not known. Some time in the summer of 1944 he was drafted into the Wehrmacht). Captured by the Red Army at the end of the war, he died in a POW camp in East Germany.

Sources

• History of 1FC Katowice