Lucjan Brychczy’s last journey. “Legia is people. And he was the greatest among us.”
It was an extremely sad Monday for Polish football. On December 9, 2024, the funeral of Lucjan Brychczy, the legend of Legia Warszawa, took place.
The ceremony took place at the Field Cathedral of the Polish Army at Długa Street in Warsaw. Lucjan Brychczy was accompanied by crowds on his last journey. There were famous figures, including: with the president of the Polish Football Association, Cezary Kulesza, the owner of Legia Warszawa, Dariusz Mioduski, and former coaches and outstanding Polish representatives, Andrzej Strejlau, Henryk Apostel and Dariusz Dziekanowski.
Lucjan Brychczy posthumously awarded by Andrzej Duda
There were also former and current Legia Warszawa players and coaches. There were also fans present who remembered “Mr. Lucjan” as a player, coach and later, the greatest legend of the capital club. But also people from outside the fan or sports world, which respects the great figure of the man who was a symbol.
The ceremony took place in an honorable atmosphere, with great class and sensitivity. Exactly as “Kici” deserved, as was said about the late legend of Legia and the entire Polish football.
Lucjan Brychczy as a Legia player in the years 1954–1972 played 452 matches, scoring 226 goals. He won the title of Polish champion four times (1955, 1956, 1969, 1970) and won the Polish Cup four times (1955, 1956, 1964, 1966). He was the top scorer in the Polish league three times. In the Polish national team (he was, among others, the captain of the national team) he played 58 times, scoring 18 goals. It is worth adding that he played at the Olympic Games in 1960.
After retiring, he served as a coach and member of Legia’s training staff, and from 2014 he was the honorary president of the club. In recognition of his services to Polish football, he was awarded the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta.
Posthumously, “Kici” was honored by the Polish Football Association with the PZPN Diamond Honorary Badge. Additionally, President Andrzej Duda awarded Brychczy the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, which was announced on the day of the funeral.
Lucjan Brychczy died on December 2 at the age of 90. He was buried at the Powązki Military Cemetery in Warsaw.
