Poznań had its own George Best. "I'd rather have one drunk Okoński than all of you"

An exceptionally talented striker from Lech Poznań leaves the club, moves to Legia Warsaw, scores a goal against "Kolejorz" in the Polish Cup final, and after two years returns to Bułgarska and... the fans forget about everything. Not right away, but still. A great thing that only a great footballer could do. And that was Mirosław Okoński, who is for Poznań what Diego Maradona was for Argentines and Napoli fans. A demigod, an idol, an artist to whom everything can be forgiven.

"I spent most of my money on alcohol, women and cars. The rest I just wasted," George Best used to say. The words of the Northern Irish striker, with a little correction, could easily be attributed to "Okoń". The Lech Poznań legend also squandered money, but the footballer was more drawn to casinos than to motoring.

— I won't lie: the casino really got to me. And obviously, when you went there, you had to have a drink. I was simply addicted to the casino. It definitely had an impact on my form. If I had let go of the ballet a bit, my career would have turned out differently — he said in 2021 in an interview with "Przegląd Sportowy". How much did he lose over the years of his gambling addiction? Considering that Okoński admitted that he had spent two million dollars on drinks, it can be assumed that it was an astronomical amount.

Ballet is ballet, but Mirosław Okoński — at least up to a point — played as if he were from another planet. Or at least another continent, because the fans called him "a Brazilian in Polish skin". And no wonder, because when he sped down the left wing, he ridiculed his opponents, put on "nets" and one could get the impression that he had smeared his cleats with glue before the match. A show-off off the pitch? "Extinguishing" a coin tossed into the air on his shoe.

Even Kazimierz Górski, who trained him at Legia, turned a blind eye to Okoń's nighttime antics. And he couldn't stand party people. After one of the matches, in which "Okoń" came off the bench, scored two goals and secured Legia's victory, Górski ordered additional training for the so-called party group. "Okoń can go back to the bar," he said shortly, exempting the striker from training.

"There were three clubs in Poznań and we went there. Mirek was there for dancing and praying the rosary, unlike now. And he could drink! Then he would sleep and an hour later he would be playing," said the legendary Lech Poznań activist Henryk "Luluś" Zakrzewicz in an interview with Weszło.

There has also been an anecdote in the community for years about Okoński's late night before the Lech Poznań vs. Pogoń Szczecin match. The Lech star was met in a pub by Leszek Jezierski, who was then managing "Portowcy". The coach was told by "Okoń" that he was partying because he was injured. The experienced coach wanted to be sure that the Lech star would not be on the pitch the next day and decided to have a few drinks with the player. They met until five in the morning.

— My wife came to pick me up and took me home. I went to bed, got up, shaved, went to the match, and there Jezierski almost had a heart attack. "Okoń, are you playing? You said you had an injury." "It's gone now," I replied. He started laughing, but later he wasn't laughing anymore. I entered the pitch, scored two goals, Okoński recounted. It was after that match that an angry Jezierski allegedly shouted to his players that "he'd rather have one drunk Okoński than all of them."

Mirosław Okoński, apart from Lech Poznań and Legia Warsaw, also successfully represented HSV Hamburg (2nd place in the Bundesliga Player of the Year poll in 1987, German Cup) and AEK Athens (Greek champion). He played for the Polish national team in 1977-1987. He played 29 matches, but never played a role in the national team that matched his talent.

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— In 1978 I didn't go [to the World Cup] because of an injury. I couldn't hold a grudge against anyone, not even against coach Jacek Gmoch. But when I heard that Piechniczek wasn't taking me to Spain, I broke down. He called me up for all the camps, to Japan, everywhere. Besides, it was the same in 1986 — he complained years later in "Przegląd Sportowy".

In 2019, the football community was hit by the news of the health problems of the former Lech Poznań star - Okoński fell ill with cirrhosis of the liver. Three surgeries, a restrictive diet and a change of lifestyle allowed him to return to health. In this difficult situation, the former Polish representative was helped by his relatives, who organized a collection for expensive treatment and fans, who joined the campaign.

On Saturday, Mirosław Okoński can admire Lech reaching for the Polish championship. The match of the 34th round of the PKO BP Ekstraklasa football league, Lech Poznań — Piast Gliwice, will be played at 17:30 (similar to other matches). Kolejorz is one point ahead of Raków Częstochowa, which is playing at home with Widzew Łódź. The match at Bułgarska Street in Poznań will start at 17:30, and the broadcast will be available on Canal+ 4K Ultra and in Multiliga+ on Canal+ Sport.