Leon Sperling (7 August 1900 – 15 December 1941) was a Polish Olympic footballer.[1][2][3]
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 7 August 1900 | ||
Place of birth | Kraków, Austria-Hungary | ||
Date of death | 15 December 1941 | (aged 41)||
Place of death | Lwów Ghetto, Poland | ||
Height | 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) | ||
Position(s) | Forward | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
<1921–1932> | Cracovia | ||
International career | |||
Poland | 16 | (?) | |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Sperling was born in Kraków, and was Jewish.[4] He was a football forward, playing on the left wing. Sperling represented Cracovia,[5] the team he led in 1921, 1930, and 1932 to the Championship of Poland.[6] He also played in 16 games for the Poland National Team,[7] including Poland's lone game at the 1924 Paris Olympic Games.[8][9][10] He was regarded as a highly skilled dribbler.[11] He also coached in Lviv.[11] Sperling is one of Cracovia Kraków's legends.
Sperling was shot to death by the Nazis in the Lwów Ghetto in December 1941.[10][12][2][13] His Jewish teammate, Józef Klotz, was also killed in the Holocaust.[2]