 Horst Panic at Varta Namysłów in 1998 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1938-07-12)12 July 1938 | ||
| Place of birth | Bobrek, Poland | ||
| Date of death | 7 November 2025(2025-11-07) (aged 87) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Zryw Chorzów | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1955–1965 | Bielawianka Bielawa | ||
| 1965–1970 | Górnik Wałbrzych | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| 1974–1978 | Górnik Wałbrzych (assistant manager) | ||
| 1978–1979 | Górnik Wałbrzych | ||
| 1980–1984 | Górnik Wałbrzych | ||
| 1984–1986 | Zagłębie Sosnowiec | ||
| 1987–1991 | Zagłębie Wałbrzych | ||
| 1991–1994 | Chrobry Głogów | ||
| 1994–1995 | Amica Wronki | ||
| 1995 | Lechia Dzierżoniów | ||
| 1995–1996 | Polonia Świdnica | ||
| 1998 | Varta Namysłów | ||
| LKS Bestwina | |||
| Drzewiarz Jasienica | |||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Horst Panic (12 July 1938 – 7 November 2025) was a Polish football player and manager. After spending his professional playing career withGórnik Wałbrzych, he started his managerial career with the same club, leading them to a historic promotion to theEkstraklasa in 1983, earning a "best coach" award in aSłowo Polskie plebiscite. He later went on to manage various other clubs, primarily inLower Silesia.
Horst Panic was born on 12 July 1938 inBobrek, a present-day suburb ofBytom, southern Poland.[1][2]
Panic began his football career atZryw Chorzów,[1] and from 1955 he played forBielawianka Bielawa.[2] From 1965 to 1970, he played forGórnik Wałbrzych,[3] with whom he competed in thePolish Second Division[1] with over 70 appearances for them.[1] He played as aforward.[1]
After his playing career, Panic remained in the sport and worked as a coach. In the 1974–75 season, he became an assistant toStanisław Stachura atGórnik Wałbrzych, then playing in theThird Division.[4] From 1975 to 1978, he assistedStanisław Świerk and secured promotion to the Second Division in 1976.[4] In the 1978–79 season, he became the first team manager of the Wałbrzych team, but was dismissed after the autumn round.[4]
He returned to the manager's position in the spring round of the 1980–81 season, and in 1983 he led Górnik to theEkstraklasa for the first time in the club's history, considered a historic success.[5] After the autumn round (half-way point of the season), his team even led the league,[4] and ultimately finished the season in 6th place.[6] These successes earned Panic the title of Best Coach of 1983 in the "Słowo Polskie" plebiscite.[1]
After the end of the successful 1983–84 season, he moved toZagłębie Sosnowiec.[7] With Zagłębie, he finished 5th in the First Division in the 1984–85 season and left after the autumn round of the 1985–86 season after relegation to the third tier.[8]
In the spring of 1987, he managed the other team in Wałbrzych and Górnik's fierce rivals, the Third DivisionZagłębie Wałbrzych; from the 1990–91 season a Second Division team after winning promotion.[8]
From 1991 to 1994, he coachedChrobry Głogów at the Second and Third Division levels,[9] and from 1995, the Second DivisionAmica Wronki for less than half a season, but was dismissed before the season's end, which nonetheless ended with the team's promotion to the First Division.[10]
In May 1995, he became the manager ofLechia Dzierżoniów, but failed to keep the team in the Second Division.[11] In the 1995–96 season, he managed the Third DivisionPolonia Świdnica.[12] He also had a short stint atVarta Namysłów in 1998.[13]
He ended his career as a coach at amateur clubs LKS Bestwina and Drzewiarz Jasienica.[13]
Panic died on 7 November 2025, at the age of 87.[9] His stories about Polish football are said to have been the inspiration for the Polish cult filmPiłkarski poker [pl].[14]