Stephan ZIEMCZAK

Born in the North of France, in the Pas-de-Calais region, Stephan Ziemczak started his professional career with Lens in 1954. He was a defensive midfielder, who excelled in winning back possession for his team. He spent five seasons in Red and Gold, who were playing in the First Division at the time, and he would finish runners-up in the League two seasons running, in 1956 and 1957. Having become an experienced campaigner in the top-flight, he would sign for Stade Rennais in 1959, and was first-choice in the starting line-up as of matchday 12 of the 1959/1960 season. He would become one of the lynchpins of the Rennes midfield over four seasons, and helped out from time-to-time in defence. In 1963, he would leave Rennes to join Angers as part of an exchange deal, with Claude Bourrigault going in the other direction. Still playing in the First Division, he would play for two seasons at Angers before moving South to AS Cannes. He experienced relegation for the first time, down to Division Two at the end of his first season on the South Coast, but would stay put for two more seasons to see out the rest of his playing days before hanging up his boots as a professional footballer. He stayed in the South after retirement, even having a last season at Antibes as Player-Manager for the 1969/1970 season. Ziemczak was a winner of the Military World Cup in 1957, and U21 World Champion in 1959. He passed away in Nice, aged just 64 years old, on 11th March 2001.