Andrej Kvašňák
Slovak footballer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Andrej Kvašňák (19 May 1936 – 18 April 2007) was a Slovak football player. Born in Košice, he played for Czechoslovakia, for which he played 47 matches and scored 13 goals.[1] He is usually considered one of the best Czechoslovak footballers.
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Kvašňák at the 1970 FIFA World Cup | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 19 May 1936 | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Košice, Czechoslovakia | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 18 April 2007 (aged 70) | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Prague, Czech Republic | ||||||||||||||||
| Positions | |||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| 1947–1951 | OŠPZ Košice | ||||||||||||||||
| 1951–1956 | VSS Košice | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 1956–1958 | Dukla Pardubice | ||||||||||||||||
| 1958–1959 | Jednota Košice | ||||||||||||||||
| 1959–1969 | Sparta Prague | 202 | (65) | ||||||||||||||
| 1969–1971 | K.R.C. Mechelen | 58 | (17) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||
| 1956–1959 | Czechoslovakia B | 9 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 1960–1970 | Czechoslovakia | 47 | (13) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||
Club career
Kvašňák played domestically in the Czechoslovak First League for Dukla Pardubice, Jednota Košice and Sparta Prague. He scored a total of 83 goals in the league in 251 appearances across his spells with all clubs, and won two league titles, both with Sparta.[2] From 1969 he played for Racing Mechelen in the second tier of Belgium, before leaving in 1972.[3]
Although often listed as a forward, he was in fact normally an attacking midfield schemer, forging a partnership in the centre of the park with Josef Masopust at international level. Well known for his technique and passing ability, he was also a prolific goalscorer and fine header of the ball.
International career
Before breaking into the senior team, Kvašňák played nine matches, scoring once, for Czechoslovakia B between 1956 and 1959. He made 47 appearances for Czechoslovakia between 1960 and 1970, scoring 13 times.[2] One of his goals was a penalty against Hungary in a qualifying playoff for the 1970 World Cup.[4] Kvašňák was a participant in the 1960 European Nations' Cup, where Czechoslovakia finished third, the 1962 FIFA World Cup, where Czechoslovakia finished second, and also in the 1970 FIFA World Cup.[2] He retired from international football following the 1970 World Cup, at the age of 34.[3]
Later life and death
Kvašňák settled in Prague after his football career, but did not go into coaching. Instead he was a longstanding employee of the Prague Public Transit Company.[3] Kvašňák died at age 70 in Prague's Bulovka Hospital after contracting lung cancer.[5]
