Jaroslav Pollák

Jaroslav Pollák is considered one of the greatest legends of Slovak football, a combative midfielder who left his mark on the football of the 1970s.

575

Games

Goals

Assists

Trophies

1965/77 VSS Košice (CZE) 322 matches, 19 goals

1977/79 Dukla Banská Bystrica (CZE) 56 matches, 5 goals

1979/80 Sparta Prague (CZE) 40 matches, 1 goal

1981/83 Casino Salzburg (AUT) 65 matches, 1 goal

1983/88 ZŤS Košice (CZE) 43 matches

With the National Team :

49 caps, 1 goal

(Friendly matches: 30 caps)

(World Cup qualifiers: 6 caps)

(World Cup: 1 cap)

(Euro qualifiers: 11 caps, 1 goal)

(Euro: 1 cap)

First cap: June 23, 1968 against Brazil (3-2)

Last cap: March 26, 1980 against Switzerland (0-2)

Olympic: 9 caps, 1 goal

U23: 5 caps

Jaroslav Pollák

Born July 11, 1947 in Medzev (TCH)

Died June 26, 2020 in Košice (SLQ)

Slovak/Czechoslovak, Central Midfielder/Defensive Midfielder, 1m76

Nickname: "Bobby"

An example of longevity

Jaroslav Pollák was born on July 11, 1947, in Medzev, Czechoslovakia. He began his career at the age of 18 with VSS Košice. Playing as a central or defensive midfielder, the player quickly established himself as one of the best players in the country. In a team fighting to stay up, the player was crucial, but he was unable to prevent his team's relegation at the end of the 1976/77 season.

He then joined another club fighting to stay up in the Czechoslovak league, Dukla Banská Bystrica, for two seasons, while he continued his career. The only season of his career with a major club was the 1979/80 season with Sparta Prague. But the club was disappointing and finished in tenth place. His club career wasn't particularly successful, although he did win a Czechoslovak Cup with the club in 1980.

He then finished his career in Austria before returning to Czechoslovakia with ZŤS Košice. He retired in 1988 after 23 years, a remarkable longevity. He was 41 when he ended his career.

A legend who missed the final

But Jaroslav Pollák is better known for his exploits with the Czechoslovak national team during the 1970s. He played for almost 12 years between 1968 and 1980, playing numerous matches for his country, a total of 49, scoring one goal.

His first international competition was the 1970 World Cup, where he played only one match, against England, a fine individual performance. But collectively, Czechoslovakia was humiliated, with three matches, three defeats, two goals scored and seven conceded.

1976 would be his best year with his country; the player was excellent, as was his team. The golden generation would win the Euro to everyone's surprise, with Jaroslav Pollák starting throughout this epic campaign, except for the final. Indeed, during the semi-finals, the player received two yellow cards, which prevented him from participating in the final against West Germany.

Named to the tournament's team of the year despite the red card, his fighting spirit on the pitch and his technique earned him recognition as one of the best players in his country's history and a prominent member of the Czechoslovak generation of the 1970s, who won a historic trophy.