Dawid Szulczek Explained

Dawid Szulczek
Birth Date:26 January 1990
Birth Place:Świętochłowice, Poland
Position:Central midfielder
Years1:–2013
Clubs1:Śląsk Świętochłowice
Manageryears1:2013–2014
Managerclubs1:Górnik Wesoła (assistant)
Manageryears2:2014–2017
Managerclubs2:Rozwój Katowice (assistant)
Manageryears3:2017
Managerclubs3:Rozwój Katowice (caretaker)
Manageryears4:2017–2018
Managerclubs4:Wigry Suwałki (assistant)
Manageryears5:2018–2019
Managerclubs5:Stal Mielec (assistant)
Manageryears6:2019–2020
Managerclubs6:Wisła Kraków (assistant)
Manageryears7:2020–2021
Managerclubs7:Wigry Suwałki
Manageryears8:2021–2024
Managerclubs8:Warta Poznań

Dawid Szulczek (born 26 January 1990) is a Polish professional football manager and former player who most recently managed Warta Poznań.

Managerial career

After retiring as a player in 2013, Szulczek started his coaching career as an assistant at Górnik Wesoła. Before the 2014–15 season, he joined Rozwój Katowice and held the role of assistant coach until 2017. After head coach Tadeusz Krawiec's dismissal before the last matchday of the 2017–18 season, he took on the position of interim coach and led Rozwój to a 0–1 II liga win against Gryf Wejherowo on 3 June 2017.[1]

On 13 June 2017, Szulczek was recruited by Artur Skowronek and joined his staff at Wigry Suwałki as an assistant coach.[2] He would follow Skowronek and work in a similar role at Stal Mielec[3] and Wisła Kraków.[4]

Wigry Suwałki

On 21 July 2020, he was appointed manager of II liga team Wigry Suwałki.[5] Wigry finished the 2020–21 campaign in 4th, with 18 wins, 10 draws and 8 losses in 36 games. They would subsequently crash out of I liga promotion play-offs in the first round after losing to KKS 1925 Kalisz.[6]

He obtained the UEFA Pro license in September 2020, becoming the youngest holder of such certification in Poland at the time.[7]

Warta Poznań

On 8 November 2021, his contract was bought out by Ekstraklasa side Warta Poznań and he signed until the end of the season, with a two-year extension option.[8] With Szulczek in charge, Warta escaped the relegation zone and finished the season in 11th.[9] On 1 April 2022, his contract was extended until June 2024.[10]

Under Szulczek's tenure, which included an eighth-place finish at the end of the 2022–23 campaign, Warta has overperformed and managed to avoid relegation twice despite their limited transfer activity and having one of if not the lowest reported club budget in Ekstraklasa.[11] [12] He has received praise for his work, which has been cited as a catalyst for other top-level Polish clubs to hire young managers with no playing experience beyond lower divisions or youth level, such as Adrian Siemieniec, Daniel Myśliwiec, Dawid Szwarga or Gonçalo Feio.[13]

On 18 April 2024, amid ongoing media reports linking him with Cracovia,[14] it was announced Szulczek would leave Warta at the end of his contract.[9] He was unable to save Warta from relegation at the end of the 2023–24 season, as they lost 0–3 to Jagiellonia Białystok and were jumped in the standings by Korona Kielce following their away win over Lech Poznań on the last matchday.[15]

Managerial statistics

TeamFromToRecord
Rozwój Katowice (interim)30 May 201713 June 2017
Wigry Suwałki26 July 20208 November 2021
Warta Poznań8 November 202130 June 2024
Total

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Gryf Wejherowo 0-1 Rozwój Katowice . 90minut.pl . 8 November 2021 . pl . 3 June 2017.
  2. Web site: Dawid Szulczek asystentem trenera Wigier . 8 November 2021 . pl . 13 June 2017.
  3. Web site: Dawid Szulczek w sztabie szkoleniowym Stali Mielec . 90minut.pl . 8 November 2021 . pl . 24 June 2018.
  4. Web site: Grzegorz Żmija i Dawid Szulczek w sztabie szkoleniowym Wisły . 90minut.pl . 8 November 2021 . pl . 14 November 2019.
  5. Web site: Dawid Szulczek trenerem Wigier . . 8 November 2021 . pl . 21 July 2020.
  6. Web site: Wigry Suwałki 2-2 KKS 1925 Kalisz pd. k. 2-4 . 90minut.pl . 8 November 2021 . pl . 15 June 2021.
  7. Web site: Trener Dawid Szulczek z licencją UEFA Pro . . 8 November 2021 . pl . 29 September 2020.
  8. Web site: Dawid Szulczek trenerem Warty Poznań . . 8 November 2021 . pl . 8 November 2021.
  9. Web site: To już oficjalnie! Zmiana trenera w Ekstraklasie. "Nasze drogi się rozejdą" . przegladsportowy.onet.pl . 18 April 2024 . pl . 18 April 2024.
  10. Web site: Nowy kontrakt trenera Dawida Szulczka z Wartą Poznań . . 29 April 2022 . pl . 1 April 2022.
  11. Web site: Budżety klubów PKO Ekstraklasy. Gdyby pieniądze grały, Warta Poznań już dawno by spadła. Jagiellonia na lekkim minusie . poranny.pl . 18 April 2024 . pl . 26 April 2023.
  12. Web site: Niezbędnik kibica PKO Ekstraklasy: Warta Poznań. Kadra, transfery, typy na sezon 2022/23 . sport.tvp.pl . 18 April 2024 . pl . 15 July 2022.
  13. Web site: Dwa lata ponad stan. Dlaczego praca Szulczka nie powinna powszednieć . weszlo.com . 18 April 2024 . pl . 25 October 2023.
  14. Web site: Cracovia wybrała nowego trenera z PKO Ekstraklasy. Media: Dawid Szulczek z Warty Poznań zastąpi Jacka Zielińskiego . gol24.pl . 18 April 2024 . pl . 18 March 2024.
  15. Web site: Tomasz . Rosiński . PKO Ekstraklasa: trzy gole w meczu Lecha Poznań z Koroną. Kielczanie utrzymali się! . sportowefakty.wp.pl . 25 May 2024 . pl . 25 May 2024.