Egon-Erwin Pollak

Egon-Erwin Pollak (12 November 1898 in Vienna, Austria-Hungary- 1984 in Germany) was an Austrian football player.

Career

Pollak started his career in 1911 at the age of twelve with SC Hakoah Wien. During the years of the World War I he made appearances in the first team due to the absence of regular players. During the 1919/20 promotion season he made three appearances in the first team. From the teams first appearance in the top division, he was part of the regular line-up. The team established itself in the first class. After a fourth place in the debut season, a fight for the championship followed in the second year, which was only lost on the last match day against Wiener Sport-Club. After professional football was introduced in Austria in the 1924/25 season, Hakoah finally managed to win the championship title.

In the spring of 1926, Hakoah made a tour in America. A number of Hakoah players - including Pollak - being offered contracts by US clubs. He returned to Vienna with the team and played the championship to the end. He decided to accept the offer. He went to the New York Giants in the American Soccer League.

Pollak only played one season with the Giants. Then he returned to Vienna, where he played again for Hakoah. Due to the personnel departures, Hakoah Hakoah was relegated to the second division. In the following season, Pollak played a few more games for the lower-class team SK Hasmonea. He then lived in Berlin, where he played for a team of Austrians abroad that was connected with Berliner SV 92.

In 1934 he emigrated to Palestine. He took over the training of Maccabi Tel Aviv. He also looked after the Palestine national team. After a tour of Australia with Maccabi in 1939 he stayed in Sydney for a year as a youth coach and then returned to Maccabi Tel Aviv.

In 1948 he took over the Israeli national team again. They played their first game after the state's independence. It was a 3-1 loss against the USA in New York. Pollak then worked in youth work and as a sports journalist before moving to Germany in the 1970s.

International

He made his debut in the Austrian national team on 25 May 1924. He played as a right winger in the 4-1 win against Romania. This was his only appearance in the national team.

Other work

Pollak was also vice president of the Players' Union, an union of Viennese professional players.

Honours

• 1 × Austrian champion: 1925
• 1 × Austrian second division champion: 1920
• 2 × Austrian Cup semifinalist: 1920, 1923
• 1 match for the Austrian national football team