Quick Facts
Biography
Jan Urban (Polish pronunciation: [ˈjan ˈurban]; born 14 May 1962) is a Polish retired footballer who played as a striker, and the current manager of Śląsk Wrocław.
His professional career was closely associated to Górnik Zabrze and Osasuna, and he also coached and worked with the latter club in various capacities.
Urban represented Poland at the 1986 World Cup.
Playing career
Urban was born in Jaworzno, being one of six children in an underprivileged mining family. In his country he played for Zagłębie Sosnowiec and Górnik Zabrze, winning three national championships in a row with the latter to which he contributed with 38 goals combined, including a career-best 17 in 1987–88.
In the 1989 summer, Urban moved to Spain and joined CA Osasuna, going on to be one of the Navarre team's most important players of the following decade. He scored 13 goals in 34 games in his second season to help the club finish in a best-ever fourth position in La Liga, thus qualifying to the UEFA Cup; this included a hat-trick against Real Madrid on 30 December 1990, in a 4–0 away win.
Urban started the 1994–95 campaign with Osasuna in the second division, but returned to the top flight with Real Valladolid in the winter transfer window. He closed out his career at 36 after one-season stints with CD Toledo (also Spain, second level), VfB Oldenburg (Germany) and former side Gornik.
Urban earned 57 caps for Poland during six years, netting seven goals in the process. He was selected to the 1986 FIFA World Cup squad, appearing in all four matches (three starts) as the national team reached the round-of-16 in Mexico.
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 18 March 1987 | Stadion Miejski (Rybnik), Rybnik, Poland |  Finland | Friendly | ||
| 2. | 24 March 1987 | Olympic Stadium, Wrocław, Poland |  Norway | Friendly | ||
| 3. | 7 February 1989 | Estadio Nacional, San José, Costa Rica |  Costa Rica | Friendly | ||
| 4. | 12 April 1989 | Polish Army Stadium, Warsaw, Poland |  Romania | Friendly | ||
| 5. | 17 April 1991 | Polish Army Stadium, Warsaw, Poland |  Turkey | Euro 1992 qualifying | ||
| 6. | 14 August 1991 | Stadion Miejski (Poznań), Poznań, Poland |  France | Friendly | ||
| 7. | 16 October 1991 | Stadion Miejski, Poznań, Poland |  Republic of Ireland | Euro 1992 qualifying |
Manager career
Urban settled in Pamplona after retiring, and begun his coaching career in the city, being in charge of Osasuna's youth sides. He then worked with the reserve team in division three, moving to the offices after two seasons and leaving the club in June 2007.
In the summer of 2007, Urban took over as head coach of Legia Warsaw, being responsible for signing three Osasuna players to the team, including Iñaki Astiz. During the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament, he served as an assistant for the Polish national team.
On 17 March 2010, Urban was fired by Legia, signing with fellow league club Zagłębie Lubin roughly one year later. On 30 May 2012 he returned for a second spell with Legia, which lasted until 19 December of the following year.
Urban returned to Osasuna after seven years, being appointed first-team manager on 3 July 2014 after the side's top flight relegation.
Honours
Player
- Górnik Zabrze
- Ekstraklasa: 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88
- Polish SuperCup: 1988
Manager
- Legia Warsaw
- Ekstraklasa: 2012–13, 2013–14
- Polish Cup: 2007–08, 2012–13
- Polish SuperCup: 2008