The former striker had cult status at VfL Bochum because of a goal he scored almost 35 years ago. Now he has died at the age of 63.

Andrzej Iwan’s place in VfL Bochum history has been secure since 12 April 1988. The Polish striker scored in the 60th minute of the DFB Cup semi-final to give Bochum a 2-0 lead against Hamburger SV and thus played a decisive role in the team’s progress to the final. The VfL lost the final a few weeks later with 0:1 against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Now Andrzej Iwan has died. This was announced by the Polish Football Association on its homepage on 27 December. Andrzej Iwan was 63 years old. “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Andrzej! Rest in peace!” the Bochum club account said on Twitter.

“A great footballer, a dazzling man, a legend of Wisła Kraków. His opinions on football topics were extremely valuable. We will remember him forever!” wrote association president Cezary Kulesza on the short message service.

Andrzej Iwan began his professional career with Wisla Kraków in 1976. He won the Polish championship with his hometown club in 1978. In 1985 he joined the traditional club Gornik Zabrze and went on to win three more Ekstraklasa titles (1986 – 1988). In total, Poland’s Footballer of the Year in 1988 scored 90 goals in 269 games in the domestic league.

Ex-VfL-Bochum professional finished third at the 1982 World Cup

Andrzej Iwan played abroad for VfL Bochum (1988 – 1989) and Aris Thessaloniki (1989 – 1991) in Greece. His CV also includes eleven goals in 29 international matches with the Polish national team, with whom he twice took part in World Championships. In 1982, the team finished third in the tournament in Spain.

After his career, during which he repeatedly attracted attention for his alcoholic escapades, Andrzej Iwan worked as a player consultant. In 2012, he published an autobiography that also deals with alcoholism.