Leon Sperling

Leon Sperling (7 August 1900 – c. 15 December 1941) was a Polish footballer.^[1][2][3][4]

Leon Sperling

Sperling (fourth from right) with Cracovia in 1921
Personal information
Date of birth	(1900-08-07)7 August 1900
Place of birth	Kraków, Austria-Hungary
Date of death	c. 15 December 1941(1941-12-15) (aged 41)
Place of death	Lwów Ghetto, Poland
Height	1.64 m (5 ft 5 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1914–1916	Jutrzenka Kraków
1917	Cracovia
1918–1920	Jutrzenka Kraków
1920–1934	Cracovia
International career
1921–1930	Poland	16	(2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Sperling was born in Kraków, and was Jewish.^[5] He was a forward, playing on the left wing. Sperling represented Cracovia,^[6] the team he led in 1921, 1930, and 1932 to the Championship of Poland.^[7] He also played in 16 games for the Poland national team,^[8] including Poland's lone game at the 1924 Paris Olympic Games.^[9][10][11] He was regarded as a highly skilled dribbler.^[12] He also coached in Lviv.^[12] Sperling is one of Cracovia Kraków's legends.

Sperling was shot to death by the German Nazis in the Lwów Ghetto in December 1941.^{[11][13][3][14]} His Jewish teammate, Józef Klotz, was also killed in the Holocaust.^[3]

Honours

Cracovia^[15]

• Ekstraklasa: 1921, 1930, 1932

See also

• List of select Jewish football (association; soccer) players