Sjaak Polak
 Polak in 2017 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 18 February 1976 | ||
| Place of birth | The Hague, Netherlands | ||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Left-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Lisse (head coach) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| ADO Den Haag | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1995–1996 | Scheveningen | ||
| 1996–2001 | Excelsior | 132 | (17) |
| 2001–2004 | Twente | 92 | (12) |
| 2004–2005 | ADO Den Haag | 34 | (5) |
| 2005–2008 | Sparta Rotterdam | 80 | (14) |
| 2008–2010 | Veendam | 33 | (6) |
| 2009–2010 | → RBC Roosendaal (loan) | 21 | (5) |
| 2010–2012 | SVV Scheveningen | ||
| 2012–2013 | Texas Dutch Lions | 13 | (2) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2012–2014 | RSV Hoekpolder | ||
| 2014–2016 | Quick Boys II | ||
| 2016–2017 | RKSV GDA | ||
| 2017–2019 | SJC | ||
| 2023– | Lisse | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Sjaak Polak (born 18 February 1976) is a Dutch professional football manager and former player who is the head coach of Tweede Divisie club Lisse.
Club career[edit]
An outspoken wingback and freekick specialist, Polak previously played for Excelsior, Twente, and ADO Den Haag. In May 2008, Sparta announced that they would not extend his contract.[1] He joined Twente in January 2001 and went on to pick up a winner's medal when Twente won the 2001 KNVB Cup after a penalty shoot-out (in which he scored).
After that, Sjaak had several trials, in Austria for example with Austria Vienna and with Swiss club St. Gallen, but without success.[2] He ended up in Israel on trial with Maccabi Tel Aviv. Maccabi was interested in Polak's services because of Jewish descent [3]), and would not count as a foreigner for the club, thanks to the Israeli Law of Return.[4] Polak had trouble getting the necessary documentation proving his family's Jewish origins and when he was told that he would be asked to give up his Dutch citizenship, he decided to sign for BV Veendam back in his native the Netherlands.[5]
Coaching career[edit]
After ending his career in 2012, Polak started his coaching career and was appointed as manager for four-division team RSV Hoekpolder.[6]
In April 2014, Polak was appointed as manager for the reserve team of Quick Boys for the upcoming season.[7] He stayed at the club for two seasons, before he was appointed at RKSV GDA.[8] In November 2016, he was appointed manager of VV SJC for the 2017/18 season which meant, that he would continue at RKSV GDA until the end of the season.[9] Due to disappointing results, Polak was fired on 23 April 2019.[10]
In October 2023, Polak was appointed new head coach of Tweede Divisie club Lisse.[11] In February 2024, despite disappointing results, he extended his contract with the club until 2025.[12]
Honours[edit]
Twente
External links[edit]
- Player profile – Sparta Rotterdam
- Career stats – Voetbal International (in Dutch)
References[edit]
- ^ "Westerveld en Polak volgend seizoen niet bij Sparta" (in Dutch). Sparta Rotterdam. Archived from the original on 21 May 2008. Retrieved 13 July 2008.
- ^ "Polak tekent bij Maccabi Tel Aviv" (in Dutch). Sportwereld.nl. 15 July 2008. Retrieved 16 July 2008.
- ^ Bar Dayan, Shirley (23 July 2008). בעיות באזרוחו של איסק פולאק (in Hebrew). Sport 5. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
- ^ Spunder, Or (13 July 2008). יאניק קאמאנן ידרוש הבהרות לגבי עתידו (in Hebrew). One.co.il. Retrieved 13 July 2008.
- ^ Spunder, Or (3 August 2008). סיאק פולאק חתם בליגה השניה בהולנד (in Hebrew). One.co.il. Retrieved 4 August 2008.
- ^ Exclusief: Sjaak Polak: "Ze wilden dat ik ging knokken op de Gazastrook", soccernews.nl, 29 January 2013
- ^ SJAAK POLAK NIEUWE TRAINER QUICK BOYS 2, voetbalindebollenstreek.nl, 24 April 2019
- ^ Zondagselectie GDA verwelkomt weer twee spelers voor volgend seizoen, haaglandenvoetbal.nl, 11 April 2016
- ^ Sjaak Polak volgend seizoen nieuwe trainer SJC, haaglandenvoetbal.nl, 27 November 2016
- ^ Sjaak Polak op non-actief gesteld als trainer van SJC, omroepwest.nl, 23 April 2019
- ^ Vliet, Marcel van (24 October 2023). "Sjaak Polak nieuwe trainer van FC Lisse". Topamateurvoetbal.com (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 7 December 2023. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
- ^ Haas, Jordan de (23 February 2024). "FC Lisse verlengt contract trainer Sjaak Polak". Bollenstreek Omroep (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 2 March 2024. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
- 1976 births
- Living people
- Dutch men's footballers
- Dutch expatriate men's footballers
- Dutch football managers
- Dutch Jews
- Jewish Dutch sportspeople
- Eredivisie players
- Eerste Divisie players
- Derde Divisie players
- Men's association football defenders
- ADO Den Haag players
- Excelsior Rotterdam players
- FC Twente players
- Sparta Rotterdam players
- SC Veendam players
- RBC Roosendaal players
- Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States
- Dutch expatriate sportspeople in the United States
- Footballers from The Hague
- SVV Scheveningen players