Aleksander Mandziara (1940–2015) — Polish football player and coach

Playing career

Mandziara's playing years were spent with a number of clubs in Poland and the Netherlands. He featured for local sides early in his career and then for better-known teams, gaining experience as a squad player who could contribute both on and off the field. Clubs he represented include:

• ŁTS Łabędy
• Flota Gdynia
• Szombierki Bytom
• NAC Breda (Netherlands)
• GKS Tychy

Coaching and managerial career

After retiring as a player, Mandziara moved into coaching and held managerial posts for teams in Poland and several other countries. His career as a coach included work at both club and professional levels, bringing Polish training methods to foreign squads and adapting to different football cultures. Notable appointments included:

• GKS Tychy
• Pogoń Szczecin
• Rot-Weiss Essen (Germany)
• BSC Young Boys and FC Biel/Bienne (Switzerland)
• LASK Linz and FC Stahl Linz (Austria)
• SV Darmstadt 98 and FC Bern

Mandziara was respected for his adaptability and for working across different national systems. He is remembered for guiding teams through promotion battles and for developing players who could compete at higher levels.

Legacy and death

While not the most famous figure internationally, Mandziara made a lasting contribution to clubs in Poland and abroad by combining domestic experience with international coaching practice. He died on 2 September 2015 at the age of 75. Remembrances from former clubs and teammates noted his commitment to the game and his role in fostering club stability during transitional periods.