Eugeniusz Lerch

Eugeniusz Lerch

Personal information
Date of birth	(1939-02-15)15 February 1939
Place of birth	Chorzów, Poland
Date of death	20 January 2024(2024-01-20) (aged 84)
Position(s)	Forward
Youth career
1950–1957	Unia Chorzów / Unia-Ruch Chorzów / Ruch Chorzów
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1957–1967	Ruch Chorzów	199	(95)
1968–1974	ROW Rybnik	95	(21)
1974–1976	Maribyrnong Polonia
Total		294	(106)
International career
	Poland U21	11	(4)
Managerial career
	Grunwald Halemba
	Zgoda Bielszowice
	AKS Chorzów
	Slavia Ruda Śląska
	Walcownia Czechowice-Dziedzice
	Gwarek Tarnowskie Góry
	Ruch Chorzów (youth coordinator)
1994	Ruch Chorzów (assistant manager)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Eugeniusz Lerch (15 February 1939 – 20 January 2024) was a Polish football forward best known for his time at his hometown club Ruch Chorzów. After retirement, he went on to coaching.

Lerch featured in 294 matches in the Poland's highest league. He scored 106 goals during his career, representing both Ruch Chorzów and ROW Rybnik. Notably, Lerch won the Polish Championship with Ruch in 1960. He spent the last years of his career in Australia before retiring in 1976.

Lerch cited Gerard Cieślik as his inspiration, first having seen Cieślik play at the Silesian Stadium when Lerch was aged 9, and Ruch hosted Garbarnia in a league match.

Lerch died on 20 January 2024, at the age of 84. He was buried five days later at the cemetery on Dąbrowskiego Street in Chorzów.

Honours

Ruch Chorzów

• Ekstraklasa: 1960