Born in Lubomia, Silesia, Smuda was one of Poland’s most prominent football coaches of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. His football career began in the 1960s.

He played for clubs such as Odra Wodzisław Śląski, Ruch Chorzów, Stal Mielec, Piast Gliwice, and Legia Warsaw, and also had stints in the United States and Germany.

Smuda started coaching in Germany, where he obtained his coaching license. However, his coaching career flourished when he returned to Poland.

He achieved considerable success with Widzew Łódź, leading them to two Polish championships (1995/1996, 1996/1997) and guiding the team to the group stage of the UEFA Champions League in the 1996/1997 season.

He also secured another Polish championship in the 1998/1999 season with Wisła Kraków. Later, as coach of Lech Poznań, he clinched the Polish Cup in the 2008/2009 season and guided the team to the Round of 32 in the UEFA Cup.

Smuda served as the head coach of the Polish national team from 2009 to 2012, leading the squad during Euro 2012.

Throughout his career, Smuda also managed several other top Polish clubs, including Legia Warsaw and Górnik Łęczna, among others. His international coaching experience included managing Turkish clubs Altay and Konyaspor, Cypriot club Omonia Nicosia, and German club SSV Jahn Regensburg in the second tier of the Bundesliga.

Smuda’s final coaching role was at Wieczysta Kraków, where he led the team to promotion to the third division in 2022. He spent much of his later years living in Kraków.

The football world remembers Smuda as a determined and influential coach who made a lasting impact on Polish football.