Sjaak Polak

Sjaak Polak

Personal information
Full name	Jacques Mozes Polak
Date of birth	(1976-02-18) 18 February 1976
Place of birth	The Hague, Netherlands
Height
Position(s)	Left back
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)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13 May 2012

Sjaak Polak (born February 18, 1976 in The Hague) is a Dutch former footballer.

Club career

An outspoken wingback and freekick specialist, Polak previously played for Excelsior Rotterdam, FC Twente, and ADO Den Haag. In May 2008, Sparta announced that they would not extend his contract. 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. He ended up in Israel, where he is currently trialing with Maccabi Tel Aviv. Maccabi is interested in Polak's services because he is of Jewish descent (his grandfather, on his father's side is Jewish), and would not count as a foreigner for the club, thanks to the "Law of Return." 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.

Honours

FC Twente

• KNVB Cup Winner 2000–01

External links

• Player profile - Sparta Rotterdam
• Career stats - Voetbal International (Dutch)