Cracovia Kraków
Encyclopedia
Cracovia is a professional multisports club based in Kraków
, Poland
. Cracovia is the oldest Polish football club still in existence (teams from Lwów were a few years older, but the city of Lwow was occupied and subsequently annexed by the Soviet Union
in September 1939 and now is part of Ukraine
), and has continually participated in competition since its founding on 13 June 1906. The team currently plays its matches in the Józef Piłsudski Stadium
situated next to the Błonia Park, located in the Zwierzyniec district of Kraków
.
In June 2009 the club confirmed plans to build a new 15,000 seat stadium designed by the Spanish
architectural firm Estudio Lamela. The new stadium was to be constructed on the same site as the current structure and will include underground parking, restaurants, bars, and retail space. The partly completed stadium has been opened for matches since September 2010, and is expected to be fully completed by November 2011.
The early years of football in the city of Kraków are associated with professor Henryk Jordan
. He was a Jew and had spent some time in Britain
and after coming back to his native city introduced soccer to its youth. Jordan was a huge supporter of all sports and gymnastics. On 12 March 1889, he founded "The Park of Games and Plays in Kraków’’, which was commonly called "Jordan's Park". Places like this later spread all across Austrian Galicia, and apart from gymnastics, the youth there became acquainted with football.
However, it was not Kraków where the first football game on Polish soil took place. This happened in Lwów on 14 July 1894, with a 6-minute game between the teams of Lwów and Kraków. The home team proved better, winning 1-0, on a goal by Włodzimierz Chomicki.
Within the next few years, football slowly emerged as a rising sport. It was especially popular among high school students and in the fall of 1903 a group of them created the team of Sława Lwów (the name was later changed to Czarni Lwów
) - the first Polish soccer club. In 1904 a group of Lwów's students, together with professor Eugeniusz Piasecki
, came to Kraków to play an exhibition game. The match ended in Lwów's 0-4 defeat, and its far-reaching implications among Kraków's youth were enormous.
13 June 1906 is regarded as a crucial date in the history of football in Kraków. On that day two games of high school teams took place. These matches had been announced in Kraków's newspapers. Czarni Lwów beat the team of White-reds (Biało-czerwoni) and the IV Gymnasium beat Akademicy. The matches were warmly welcomed by Kraków's fans, who were surprised to see for the first time real football gear, brought by players from Lwów. 13 June is also regarded as the day of Cracovia's creation.
In the fall of 1906 another tournament took place, in which as many as 16 teams participated. Right before the games, Jerzy Lustgarten from the team of Akademicy, came up with the new name - Cracovia, which is a Latin name for Krakow. This was accepted and henceforth the new team's full name was Akademicki Klub Footballowy, Cracovia.
On 21 October 1906, the teams of Cracovia and "Biało-czerwoni" played each other, drawing 1-1. The next year, facing difficulties, those two teams decided to join forces, thus creating a stronger club, which took over the name Cracovia and white-red jerseys. The combined team went to Lwów on 1 July 1907, where they lost a game vs. Czarni by a score of 1-4.
In 1908 an Englishman named William Calder came to Kraków. He was a teacher of English and a huge fan of football. It was in his apartment that the first club IDs and pinup badges were handed out. In May of that year Cracovia for the first time ever faced a team from abroad. This was an ethnic German side, Troppauer Sportverein, from the Czech city of Opava
.
In 1910, Cracovia's statutes were officially recognised by the Austrian government in Lwów and in the same year the club joined the Austrian Football Association
, where it gained the proud title of the 1st class team. Kraków's side was very active internationally, often playing Czech, German and Austrian teams. However, it did not forget its roots, and it was due to Cracovia's initiative that the Polish Football Federation was formed.
On 31 March 1912, after two years’ efforts, Cracovia finally got its own pitch. The same year brought the debut of Jozef Kaluza
, one of Cracovia's most popular players, who at first had to use the nickname Kowalski. The next year, Cracovia won the Championship of Austrian Galicia; however, in 1914 the games were cancelled because of the outbreak of World War I
.
, midfielder Stanislaw Cisowski and forward Leon Sperling
. All these footballers would become members of the Polish National Team in the next few years, after Poland regained independence. Also, Cracovia's great play in games vs. some elite teams of Hungarian soccer (e.g., FTC Budapest and MTK Budapest) helped convince the Hungarians to invite Poland for an international friendly in 1921 (it should be mentioned that in this first, historical game of Poland, there were seven Cracovia players in the starting lineup).
In 1920, the budding Polish Football Association (PZPN) was unable to carry out the Championships of the whole country. The situation was insecure, Polish borders were not determined, and Poland was waging several wars with its neighbors. Under the circumstances, the Kraków department of the Polish Football Association organised its own games; the tournament was won by Cracovia, ahead of Wisła Kraków. The next year, in the 1921 games, Cracovia became the first, historic Champion of Poland.
During the following years, the team often traveled across Europe, playing in Scandinavia
, France
and Spain
. The most memorable is the trip to Spain, which occurred in the fall of 1923. Cracovia showed itself as a good side, drawing 1-1 with FC Barcelona
, winning 3-2 against FC Sevilla and losing to the renowned teams of Real Madrid
and Valencia
In 1928 Cracovia joined the Polish Football League, which had been created a year earlier. Two years later, Kraków's side for the second time in its history became the Champion of Poland. This was repeated in 1932. At the end of the season, Cracovia placed ahead of such famous teams as Pogoń Lwów
, Warta Poznań
, Wisła Kraków and ŁKS Łódź. In 1934 the team was the vicechampion. However, next year, Cracovia was demoted from Ekstraklasa.
Cracovia's absence from the League lasted only one season. After beating Śmigły Wilno, AKS Chorzów
and Brygada Częstochowa
, the team returned. And the return was so successful that in their first season back (1937) Cracovia won the League, becoming the Champion for the fourth time.
One of Cracovia's most famous players, Jozef Kałuża, who in the 1930s was the coach of the Polish National Team, refused to take the post of manager of Nazi-sponsored football events. Kaluza did not survive the war, as he died in 1944. On 28 January 1945, soon after liberation, the first official game between Wisla and Cracovia took place. Numerous spectators started by singing Polish National Anthem. Later, on the snowy pitch, Wisla turned out to be the better side, winning 2-0.
However, in the Polish League's first postwar season (1948), Cracovia, together with Wisła Kraków, were the leading teams. After a fierce competition, both sides were level at first place. Under the circumstances, a third, decisive game was necessary. There, Cracovia proved its quality, winning 3-1, with the game taking place in December 1948. This was their fifth, and most recent, championship.
The following years were marked by Cracovia's slow decline. The last success — vice-championship of Poland (1949) — was then followed by the team's worsening position, which culminated in 1954, when Cracovia was demoted to the second division. An ill-considered policy of Cracovia's decision-makers should be blamed for the failures. The club was tied to Kraków's Transit Authority, which turned out to be a very bad solution, as it did not bring sufficient funds to make running the club feasible.
Between 1947 and 1954 ten of Cracovia's players were members of the Polish National Team. These were: Władysław Gędłek, Tadeusz Parpan
, Henryk Bobula, Tadeusz Glimas, Edward Jabłoński and Czesław Rataj.
, Krzysztof Hausner
), but glory years were over. Sometimes the side managed to achieve some good scores in friendly games (1-1 vs. Partizan Belgrade
in 1966 or 3-2 vs. Dinamo Minsk in 1963). In 1963 a sad incident occurred. Cracovia's wooden stands burned down, so the team had to play its home games on either Wawel Kraków
's or Wisla's turf.
The years described were by far the worst period in the history of Cracovia's football department. In 1969 the team once again was promoted to the First League, only to be demoted after just one year. Then, demotions came one after another - to the Second, Third and finally - to the Fourth, regional league. It was a shock, as never before had Cracovia been so low.
The team quickly scrambled itself out of the regional league, however, anchoring in the Third Division. This level was not satisfying for the 5-time Champion of Poland, so Cracovia tried hard to get higher, but it was not easy. In 1975, 20,000 fans watched a lost game vs. Lublinianka Lublin. In 1976 they were second (after Hutnik Kraków
). In 1977, at home, Cracovia had to beat Resovia Rzeszów
to win promotion. The match ended in a tie and thus Resovia got promoted.
Finally, Kraków's team placed first in 1978 and returned to the Second Division. Then, on 30 May 1982, all Cracovia's fans were overcome with joy. After 13 long years, their side returned to the First Division. However, the happiness did not last long - only two years. After this interval, Cracovia was demoted firstly to the Second, then to the Third Division. While in the First Division, Kraków's side managed to win some important games (3-1 with Legia Warszawa
and 1-0 with the champion - Lech Poznań
), but this was not enough.
The second half of the 1980s was marked by a total decline. Cracovia was in the Third Division; its team never managed to qualify higher. Because there were no sponsors, all the good players were en masse leaving the organisation to different, richer clubs. Celebrations of Cracovia's 80th anniversary (1986) were sad and prospects for the future were dim.
and Lukasz Kubik
) supporters hoped for better times.
In June 1991, after beating Radomiak Radom
in the playoffs, Cracovia finally won promotion, only to be demoted back to the 3rd Division after one year. Another promotion took place in the summer of 1995. Then, Cracovia for the first time in years faced its main rival, Wisła Kraków, beating it 1-0 in an away game (September 1995), on a goal by Krzysztof Duda. This time, Cracovia managed to survive three seasons in the 2nd Division, but in June 1998 it was again relegated back to the 3rd League.
In mid-2002, due to the efforts of numerous, faithful supporters, Cracovia attracted a rich sponsor, Comarch
, owned by professor Janusz Filipiak. This meant that finally there was money for development. Several players were purchased, such as Piotr Giza
, Arkadiusz Baran
, Łukasz Skrzyński and Paweł Nowak. Under new coach, Wojciech Stawowy, promotion came fast - in the fall of 2003 Cracovia returned to the Second Division.
, Piotr Giza
and Marcin Bojarski
, finished the 2003-04 season in third position, but after routing Górnik Polkowice
in the playoffs, Cracovia returned to the First Division.
The newly promoted side had a successful 2004-05 season, being in contention for a UEFA Cup
place until finally finishing in fifth place. A ninth place finish followed in 2005-06.
The 2006-07 season was the best since the early 1950s. Cracovia, under coach Stefan Majewski
, finished fourth overall, behind Zagłębie Lubin, GKS Bełchatów and Legia Warszawa
.
Cracovia finished the 2007-08 Ekstraklasa season in seventh place but due to a corruption scandal in the League, and relegation of such teams as Zaglebie Lubin
and Korona Kielce
, the team unexpectedly was offered a spot in the Intertoto Cup. However, Cracovia were quickly defeated in the first round by FC Shakhtyor Soligorsk of Belarus
, 5-1 on aggregate.
At the end of 2008-09 Ekstraklasa season Cracovia was fifteenth (last but one) in the league table, which normally would result in its relegation to the First Division. However, as a result of not granting the licence to play in the Ekstraklasa to ŁKS Łódź (the seventh team in the league table) Cracovia eventually took the fourteenth place in the table and managed to remain in the Ekstraklasa.
Since December 2009 Cracovia cooperates with 1860 Munich.
Assistant Coach
Team Chef
Goalkeeper Coach
(1959-61), (1968-69), (1972-73) Wojciech Stawowy (2002-06) Stefan Bialas (2006) Albin Mikulski (2006) Stefan Majewski
(2006-08)
, would often ask visitors from Poland about Cracovia. Also, among other personalities who support the club, there are/were such persons, as Józef Piłsudski, Gustaw Holoubek
, Nigel Kennedy
, Jerzy Pilch
, Kazimierz Wyka
, Grzegorz Miecugow, Leszek Mazan, Jerzy Harasymowicz, Maciej Maleńczuk and Stefan Friedmann
and former Sky TV Presenter Richard Keys
.
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. Cracovia is the oldest Polish football club still in existence (teams from Lwów were a few years older, but the city of Lwow was occupied and subsequently annexed by the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in September 1939 and now is part of Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
), and has continually participated in competition since its founding on 13 June 1906. The team currently plays its matches in the Józef Piłsudski Stadium
Marshal Józef Piłsudski Stadium
Marszałek Piłsudski Stadium is a football stadium in Kraków, Poland and is the home ground of Cracovia. The stadium was built in 1906. In 2009 - 2010 in the same location was built new stadium. After reconstruction the stadium holds 15,016 people...
situated next to the Błonia Park, located in the Zwierzyniec district of Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
.
In June 2009 the club confirmed plans to build a new 15,000 seat stadium designed by the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
architectural firm Estudio Lamela. The new stadium was to be constructed on the same site as the current structure and will include underground parking, restaurants, bars, and retail space. The partly completed stadium has been opened for matches since September 2010, and is expected to be fully completed by November 2011.
The Beginning
Henryk Jordan
Henryk Jordan , was a Polish philanthropist, physician and pioneer of physical education in Poland...
. He was a Jew and had spent some time in Britain
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
and after coming back to his native city introduced soccer to its youth. Jordan was a huge supporter of all sports and gymnastics. On 12 March 1889, he founded "The Park of Games and Plays in Kraków’’, which was commonly called "Jordan's Park". Places like this later spread all across Austrian Galicia, and apart from gymnastics, the youth there became acquainted with football.
However, it was not Kraków where the first football game on Polish soil took place. This happened in Lwów on 14 July 1894, with a 6-minute game between the teams of Lwów and Kraków. The home team proved better, winning 1-0, on a goal by Włodzimierz Chomicki.
Within the next few years, football slowly emerged as a rising sport. It was especially popular among high school students and in the fall of 1903 a group of them created the team of Sława Lwów (the name was later changed to Czarni Lwów
Czarni Lwów
Czarni Lwów was one of the first Polish professional sports clubs with the well developed football section as well as hockey among the several other sports. The football club was started in the late 19th century in Lwów as a school football section Sława Lwów...
) - the first Polish soccer club. In 1904 a group of Lwów's students, together with professor Eugeniusz Piasecki
Eugeniusz Piasecki
Eugeniusz Piasecki was a Polish physician, promotor of sports and hygiene and boyscouting activist....
, came to Kraków to play an exhibition game. The match ended in Lwów's 0-4 defeat, and its far-reaching implications among Kraków's youth were enormous.
13 June 1906 is regarded as a crucial date in the history of football in Kraków. On that day two games of high school teams took place. These matches had been announced in Kraków's newspapers. Czarni Lwów beat the team of White-reds (Biało-czerwoni) and the IV Gymnasium beat Akademicy. The matches were warmly welcomed by Kraków's fans, who were surprised to see for the first time real football gear, brought by players from Lwów. 13 June is also regarded as the day of Cracovia's creation.
In the fall of 1906 another tournament took place, in which as many as 16 teams participated. Right before the games, Jerzy Lustgarten from the team of Akademicy, came up with the new name - Cracovia, which is a Latin name for Krakow. This was accepted and henceforth the new team's full name was Akademicki Klub Footballowy, Cracovia.
On 21 October 1906, the teams of Cracovia and "Biało-czerwoni" played each other, drawing 1-1. The next year, facing difficulties, those two teams decided to join forces, thus creating a stronger club, which took over the name Cracovia and white-red jerseys. The combined team went to Lwów on 1 July 1907, where they lost a game vs. Czarni by a score of 1-4.
In 1908 an Englishman named William Calder came to Kraków. He was a teacher of English and a huge fan of football. It was in his apartment that the first club IDs and pinup badges were handed out. In May of that year Cracovia for the first time ever faced a team from abroad. This was an ethnic German side, Troppauer Sportverein, from the Czech city of Opava
Opava
Opava is a city in the northern Czech Republic on the river Opava, located to the north-west of Ostrava. The historical capital of Czech Silesia, Opava is now in the Moravian-Silesian Region and has a population of 59,843 as of January 1, 2005....
.
In 1910, Cracovia's statutes were officially recognised by the Austrian government in Lwów and in the same year the club joined the Austrian Football Association
Austrian Football Association
The Austrian Football Association is the governing body of football in Austria. It organizes the football league, Austrian Bundesliga, the Austrian Cup and the Austrian national team, as well as its female equivalent. It is based in Vienna....
, where it gained the proud title of the 1st class team. Kraków's side was very active internationally, often playing Czech, German and Austrian teams. However, it did not forget its roots, and it was due to Cracovia's initiative that the Polish Football Federation was formed.
On 31 March 1912, after two years’ efforts, Cracovia finally got its own pitch. The same year brought the debut of Jozef Kaluza
Józef Kaluza
Józef Ignacy Kałuża was a Polish soccer player and later coach, was one of the legends of Polish sports....
, one of Cracovia's most popular players, who at first had to use the nickname Kowalski. The next year, Cracovia won the Championship of Austrian Galicia; however, in 1914 the games were cancelled because of the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Interwar period
In spite of the war, Cracovia's soccer team did not cease its activities, playing several games with such renowned teams as Admira Wacker Wien, Vasas Budapest and Wiener Sport Club. In those years new players emerged, such as defender Ludwik GintelLudwik Gintel
Ludwik Gintel was a Polish Jewish soccer player for Cracovia, who played as a defender . He was also capped 12 times for the Poland national football team, including their first ever Olympic appearance at the 1924 Olympic Games...
, midfielder Stanislaw Cisowski and forward Leon Sperling
Leon Sperling
Leon Sperling was a Polish Olympic footballer.Sperling was born in Kraków. He was a football forward, playing on the left wing. Sperling represented Cracovia, the team he led in 1921, 1930, and 1932 to the Championship of Poland. He also played in 16 games for the Polish National Team, including...
. All these footballers would become members of the Polish National Team in the next few years, after Poland regained independence. Also, Cracovia's great play in games vs. some elite teams of Hungarian soccer (e.g., FTC Budapest and MTK Budapest) helped convince the Hungarians to invite Poland for an international friendly in 1921 (it should be mentioned that in this first, historical game of Poland, there were seven Cracovia players in the starting lineup).
In 1920, the budding Polish Football Association (PZPN) was unable to carry out the Championships of the whole country. The situation was insecure, Polish borders were not determined, and Poland was waging several wars with its neighbors. Under the circumstances, the Kraków department of the Polish Football Association organised its own games; the tournament was won by Cracovia, ahead of Wisła Kraków. The next year, in the 1921 games, Cracovia became the first, historic Champion of Poland.
During the following years, the team often traveled across Europe, playing in Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. The most memorable is the trip to Spain, which occurred in the fall of 1923. Cracovia showed itself as a good side, drawing 1-1 with FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
, winning 3-2 against FC Sevilla and losing to the renowned teams of Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
and Valencia
Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the...
In 1928 Cracovia joined the Polish Football League, which had been created a year earlier. Two years later, Kraków's side for the second time in its history became the Champion of Poland. This was repeated in 1932. At the end of the season, Cracovia placed ahead of such famous teams as Pogoń Lwów
Pogon Lwów
LKS Pogoń Lwów is a former Polish professional sports club which was located in Lwów , and existed from 1904 until the outbreak of World War II in 1939. It was the second oldest Polish football club behind other teams from Lwów - Czarni and Lechia...
, Warta Poznań
Warta Poznan
Warta Poznań is a football club based in Poznań, Poland. Founded in 1912, the club are two-time winners of the Polish Football Championship, in 1929 and 1947, but currently reside in the Polish First League. The name means the Guard in Polish and also a name of river Warta on which Poznań is...
, Wisła Kraków and ŁKS Łódź. In 1934 the team was the vicechampion. However, next year, Cracovia was demoted from Ekstraklasa.
Cracovia's absence from the League lasted only one season. After beating Śmigły Wilno, AKS Chorzów
AKS Chorzów
AKS Chorzów is a sports club in based in Chorzów, Poland. It is one of the earliest sports organizations in Upper Silesia and is still well-known nationally for its football and handball teams...
and Brygada Częstochowa
Brygada Czestochowa
Brygada Częstochowa was a soccer team from Częstochowa, Poland. The team was supported by Częstochowa's garrison of the Polish Army and in the 1930s it played in regional soccer A-Class tournament of the Kielce region. Brygada unsuccessfully tried to get promoted to the Polish Soccer League. Its...
, the team returned. And the return was so successful that in their first season back (1937) Cracovia won the League, becoming the Champion for the fourth time.
World War II
During the Second World War, the Nazi German occupiers of western Poland banned the Poles from officially playing any sports games. However Cracovia, just like other teams from Kraków, participated in secret championships of the city, which were organised every year in the period 1940-1944. "Pasy" managed to win only once - in 1943.One of Cracovia's most famous players, Jozef Kałuża, who in the 1930s was the coach of the Polish National Team, refused to take the post of manager of Nazi-sponsored football events. Kaluza did not survive the war, as he died in 1944. On 28 January 1945, soon after liberation, the first official game between Wisla and Cracovia took place. Numerous spectators started by singing Polish National Anthem. Later, on the snowy pitch, Wisla turned out to be the better side, winning 2-0.
Post War period
In the years 1946 and 1947, Cracovia played numerous friendly internationals, as well as qualifiers for the Polish Championship. The team finished second in their group, thus not getting promoted to central playoffs.However, in the Polish League's first postwar season (1948), Cracovia, together with Wisła Kraków, were the leading teams. After a fierce competition, both sides were level at first place. Under the circumstances, a third, decisive game was necessary. There, Cracovia proved its quality, winning 3-1, with the game taking place in December 1948. This was their fifth, and most recent, championship.
The following years were marked by Cracovia's slow decline. The last success — vice-championship of Poland (1949) — was then followed by the team's worsening position, which culminated in 1954, when Cracovia was demoted to the second division. An ill-considered policy of Cracovia's decision-makers should be blamed for the failures. The club was tied to Kraków's Transit Authority, which turned out to be a very bad solution, as it did not bring sufficient funds to make running the club feasible.
Between 1947 and 1954 ten of Cracovia's players were members of the Polish National Team. These were: Władysław Gędłek, Tadeusz Parpan
Tadeusz Parpan
Tadeusz Piotr Parpan was a Polish soccer player, also a graduate of the Kraków Technical University ....
, Henryk Bobula, Tadeusz Glimas, Edward Jabłoński and Czesław Rataj.
Communist era
These years were full of ups and downs for Cracovia. Most of the time the team played in the Second Division, winning promotion on several occasions, only to be demoted after a year or two (promotions took place in 1961, 1966 and 1969). In 1959 the junior team won the Championships of Poland. Some of Cracovia's players got the chance to represent Poland (Andrzej RewilakAndrzej Rewilak
Andrzej Rewilak is a retired Polish international footballer. He played for Cracovia from 1960–1971.He was capped for Poland only once. This was in the 1960s where he played against England in a 1-1 draw.-References:...
, Krzysztof Hausner
Krzysztof Hausner
Krzysztof Hausner was a Polish football right-wing forward, most notable for his performances for Cracovia Krakow. Hausner also capped once for the Polish National Team, in the April 16, 1967 game vs...
), but glory years were over. Sometimes the side managed to achieve some good scores in friendly games (1-1 vs. Partizan Belgrade
FK Partizan
Fudbalski klub Partizan is a professional football club based in Belgrade, Serbia. In its long history, FK Partizan won as many as 37 trophies. The club is the holder of 23 national championships, 12 national cups and 1 national supercup, and has also won the Mitropa Cup in 1978...
in 1966 or 3-2 vs. Dinamo Minsk in 1963). In 1963 a sad incident occurred. Cracovia's wooden stands burned down, so the team had to play its home games on either Wawel Kraków
Wawel Kraków
Wawel Kraków is a Polish football club based in Kraków, Poland. It was founded in 1919....
's or Wisla's turf.
The years described were by far the worst period in the history of Cracovia's football department. In 1969 the team once again was promoted to the First League, only to be demoted after just one year. Then, demotions came one after another - to the Second, Third and finally - to the Fourth, regional league. It was a shock, as never before had Cracovia been so low.
The team quickly scrambled itself out of the regional league, however, anchoring in the Third Division. This level was not satisfying for the 5-time Champion of Poland, so Cracovia tried hard to get higher, but it was not easy. In 1975, 20,000 fans watched a lost game vs. Lublinianka Lublin. In 1976 they were second (after Hutnik Kraków
Hutnik Kraków
KS Hutnik Nowa Huta is a Polish football club from the Nowa Huta district of Kraków. The club was founded in 1950. Hutnik have played seven seasons in the Polish Ekstraklasa . The team's greatest success is a third place in the 1995/96 season, as a result of which they qualified for the UEFA Cup...
). In 1977, at home, Cracovia had to beat Resovia Rzeszów
Resovia Rzeszów
Resovia Rzeszow is a Polish sports club, based in Rzeszów, Poland.-Club names:* Cywilno Wojskowy Klub Sportowy Resovia* Fusion with KS Wisłok Rzeszów to Ogniwo Rzeszów* CWKS Resovia...
to win promotion. The match ended in a tie and thus Resovia got promoted.
Finally, Kraków's team placed first in 1978 and returned to the Second Division. Then, on 30 May 1982, all Cracovia's fans were overcome with joy. After 13 long years, their side returned to the First Division. However, the happiness did not last long - only two years. After this interval, Cracovia was demoted firstly to the Second, then to the Third Division. While in the First Division, Kraków's side managed to win some important games (3-1 with Legia Warszawa
Legia Warszawa
Legia Warszawa is a professional football club based in Warsaw, Poland. It was founded in March 1916 in the area of Maniewicze in Volhynia as the football club of the Polish Legions...
and 1-0 with the champion - Lech Poznań
Lech Poznan
Lech Poznań is a Polish football club based in Poznań, Poland. The club is named after Lech, the legendary founder of Polish nation.The club was established in 1922 as Lutnia Dębiec, later changing its name several times. From 1933 until 1994, the club was closely linked to Polish State Railways...
), but this was not enough.
The second half of the 1980s was marked by a total decline. Cracovia was in the Third Division; its team never managed to qualify higher. Because there were no sponsors, all the good players were en masse leaving the organisation to different, richer clubs. Celebrations of Cracovia's 80th anniversary (1986) were sad and prospects for the future were dim.
Changing times
The years 1986-1990 were stagnant, with Cracovia having been unable to get itself out of the 3rd Division, group VIII. The team was most of the time in the upper part of the table, but never managed to win the games. In 1990 and 1991 Cracovia's junior team twice became the Champion of Poland and with a group of young, talented players (such as Tomasz RząsaTomasz Rzasa
Tomasz Rząsa is a former Polish professional footballer.-Career:During his career, Rząsa represented Sokół Pniewy , Grasshoppers , Lugano , Young Boys , De Graafschap , Feyenoord , Partizan , Heerenveen , ADO Den Haag and Ried .In...
and Lukasz Kubik
Lukasz Kubik
Łukasz Kubik is a Polish footballer who currently plays for Odra Opole. His brother, Arkadiusz, is also a professional footballer currently playing Górnik Wieliczka.-References:**...
) supporters hoped for better times.
In June 1991, after beating Radomiak Radom
Radomiak Radom
RKS Radomiak Radom is a Polish football club based in Radom, Poland.It was founded in 1910.It achieved 2nd place in the 3rd division in season 2003/2004 and was promoted to the 2nd division in season 2004/2005...
in the playoffs, Cracovia finally won promotion, only to be demoted back to the 3rd Division after one year. Another promotion took place in the summer of 1995. Then, Cracovia for the first time in years faced its main rival, Wisła Kraków, beating it 1-0 in an away game (September 1995), on a goal by Krzysztof Duda. This time, Cracovia managed to survive three seasons in the 2nd Division, but in June 1998 it was again relegated back to the 3rd League.
In mid-2002, due to the efforts of numerous, faithful supporters, Cracovia attracted a rich sponsor, Comarch
Comarch
Comarch is an international software house and systems integrator based in Kraków, Poland. Comarch provides services in areas such as Telecommunications, Finance and Banking, the Services Sector and to Public Administration...
, owned by professor Janusz Filipiak. This meant that finally there was money for development. Several players were purchased, such as Piotr Giza
Piotr Giza
Piotr Giza is a Polish football player. He is a hard working central midfielder or attacking midfielder.-Cracovia:...
, Arkadiusz Baran
Arkadiusz Baran
Arkadiusz Baran is a Polish football player who currently plays for LKS Nieciecza.-Career:Before coming to Kraków, he had also played for such teams as Jaroslaw JKS, Polonia Przemyśl and Stal Rzeszów...
, Łukasz Skrzyński and Paweł Nowak. Under new coach, Wojciech Stawowy, promotion came fast - in the fall of 2003 Cracovia returned to the Second Division.
Today
After promotion, Cracovia spent only one year in the Second Division. The team, with Kazimierz WęgrzynKazimierz Wegrzyn
Kazimierz Węgrzyn is former Polish footballer . Now he is a football commentator.-Club:During his career he played for such a clubs like Wisła Kraków, Cracovia or GKS Katowice.-Honors:...
, Piotr Giza
Piotr Giza
Piotr Giza is a Polish football player. He is a hard working central midfielder or attacking midfielder.-Cracovia:...
and Marcin Bojarski
Marcin Bojarski
Marcin Bojarski is a Polish striker who has been playing for Puszcza Niepołomice since 2011.- External links :...
, finished the 2003-04 season in third position, but after routing Górnik Polkowice
Górnik Polkowice
KS Polkowice is a Polish football club based in Polkowice, Poland. The club currently plays in the Polish First League, but has played in the first division as recently as the 2003/04 season.- Current squad :As of 11 November, 2011....
in the playoffs, Cracovia returned to the First Division.
The newly promoted side had a successful 2004-05 season, being in contention for a UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
place until finally finishing in fifth place. A ninth place finish followed in 2005-06.
The 2006-07 season was the best since the early 1950s. Cracovia, under coach Stefan Majewski
Stefan Majewski
Stefan Majewski is a retired Polish soccer player and subsequently a football manager who recently was the interim manager of the Polish national team.-Career:...
, finished fourth overall, behind Zagłębie Lubin, GKS Bełchatów and Legia Warszawa
Legia Warszawa
Legia Warszawa is a professional football club based in Warsaw, Poland. It was founded in March 1916 in the area of Maniewicze in Volhynia as the football club of the Polish Legions...
.
Cracovia finished the 2007-08 Ekstraklasa season in seventh place but due to a corruption scandal in the League, and relegation of such teams as Zaglebie Lubin
Zaglebie Lubin
KGHM Zagłębie Lubin is a Polish professional football club based in Lubin, Poland. It was founded on September 10, 1945 as OMTUR Lubin.-History:In 2007 Zagłębie became league champions for a second time ....
and Korona Kielce
Korona Kielce
Korona Kielce, , is a Polish football club, currently playing in the Ekstraklasa. In the years 2002-2008 Club belonged to Polish holding company Kolporter Holding and achieved its greatest success - in 2005, winning promotion to the first division...
, the team unexpectedly was offered a spot in the Intertoto Cup. However, Cracovia were quickly defeated in the first round by FC Shakhtyor Soligorsk of Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
, 5-1 on aggregate.
At the end of 2008-09 Ekstraklasa season Cracovia was fifteenth (last but one) in the league table, which normally would result in its relegation to the First Division. However, as a result of not granting the licence to play in the Ekstraklasa to ŁKS Łódź (the seventh team in the league table) Cracovia eventually took the fourteenth place in the table and managed to remain in the Ekstraklasa.
Since December 2009 Cracovia cooperates with 1860 Munich.
Honours
- Polish championship:
- Winner (5): 1921, 1930, 1932, 1937, 1948
- Championship of Galicia
- Winner (1): 1913
Cracovia in Europe
| Season | Competition | Round | Club | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 UEFA Intertoto Cup 2008 The 2008 UEFA Intertoto Cup was the last UEFA Intertoto Cup football tournament, the 14th to be organised by UEFA and the third since the competition's format was given a major overhaul. Three rounds were held, and eleven teams qualified for the second qualifying round of the UEFA Cup. The draw... |
Intertoto Cup | 1R |  |
Shakhtyor Soligorsk | 1-2, 0-3 |
Current squad
Out on loan
Staff
Head Coach- Dariusz PasiekaDariusz PasiekaDariusz Pasieka is a Polish former professional footballer and now a football manager, currently working for Ekstraklasa club Cracovia.- External links :...
Assistant Coach
- Dietmar Brehmer
Team Chef
- Maciej Madeja
Goalkeeper Coach
- Jędrzej Kędziora
Notable players
| Piotr Bania Piotr Bania Piotr Bania is a Polish football player who currently plays for Sandecja Nowy Sącz.-Career:He has also played for Kabla Kraków, Hutnik Kraków and Proszowianka Proszowice. Halfway through the 2003/04 football season, Bania took up archery and became champion of archery's second league.-References:... Arkadiusz Baran Arkadiusz Baran Arkadiusz Baran is a Polish football player who currently plays for LKS Nieciecza.-Career:Before coming to Kraków, he had also played for such teams as Jaroslaw JKS, Polonia Przemyśl and Stal Rzeszów... Marcin Bojarski Marcin Bojarski Marcin Bojarski is a Polish striker who has been playing for Puszcza Niepołomice since 2011.- External links :... Marcin Cabaj Marcin Cabaj Marcin Cabaj is a Polish footballer who currently plays for Hapoel Be'er Sheva.-Club:His previous clubs have included Wanda Nowa Huta, Krakus Nowa Huta, Górnik Łęczna, KSZO Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski... Józef Ciszewski Józef Ciszewski Born January 12, 1904 in Kraków, died 1987 in Warsaw. A soccer forward, played in several Polish clubs, also 14 games in the Polish National Team, scoring 3 goals.... Marek Citko Marek Citko Marek Citko is a retired Polish football player, who most frequently performed as an offensive midfielder. His first club was Włókniarz Białystok and hist last - Polonia Warsaw... |
Władysław Gędłek Ludwik Gintel Ludwik Gintel Ludwik Gintel was a Polish Jewish soccer player for Cracovia, who played as a defender . He was also capped 12 times for the Poland national football team, including their first ever Olympic appearance at the 1924 Olympic Games... Piotr Giza Piotr Giza Piotr Giza is a Polish football player. He is a hard working central midfielder or attacking midfielder.-Cracovia:... Wilhelm Góra Wilhelm Góra Wilhelm Antoni Góra was a Polish midfield soccer player.His career started in... Krzysztof Hausner Krzysztof Hausner Krzysztof Hausner was a Polish football right-wing forward, most notable for his performances for Cracovia Krakow. Hausner also capped once for the Polish National Team, in the April 16, 1967 game vs... Edward Jabłoński |
Józef Kałuża Józef Korbas Józef Korbas Józef Franciszek Korbas was an interwar Polish football player, forward of Cracovia and Polish National Team. He played two games for Poland.... Karol Kossok Karol Kossok Karol Albert Kossok . A Polish soccer forward, a.k.a. “the Silesian Giant”, Kossok was the best scorer of the Polish First Division in 1930 .... Janusz Kowalik Janusz Kowalik Janusz "John" Kowalik was a Polish football striker who scored prolifically in both the European leagues and the North American Soccer League. He was the 1968 NASL MVP.-Professional:... Aleksander Mysiak Aleksander Mysiak Aleksander Mysiak was a Polish football player, a midfielder, who in the late 1920s and early 1930s represented both Cracovia and the Polish National Team. With Cracovia, he twice won the Championships of Poland , altogether playing in 230 games. As a member of the National Team, Mysiak was... Tadeusz Parpan Tadeusz Parpan Tadeusz Piotr Parpan was a Polish soccer player, also a graduate of the Kraków Technical University .... |
Marek Podsiadło Stanisław Różankowski Leon Sperling Leon Sperling Leon Sperling was a Polish Olympic footballer.Sperling was born in Kraków. He was a football forward, playing on the left wing. Sperling represented Cracovia, the team he led in 1921, 1930, and 1932 to the Championship of Poland. He also played in 16 games for the Polish National Team, including... Andrzej Turecki Kazimierz Węgrzyn Kazimierz Wegrzyn Kazimierz Węgrzyn is former Polish footballer . Now he is a football commentator.-Club:During his career he played for such a clubs like Wisła Kraków, Cracovia or GKS Katowice.-Honors:... Rafał Wrześniak |
Notable head coaches
Michal MatyasMichal Matyas
Michał Franciszek Mieczysław Matyas was a Polish football player, who represented such teams as Pogoń Lwów and Polonia Bytom, as well as Poland....
(1959-61), (1968-69), (1972-73) Wojciech Stawowy (2002-06) Stefan Bialas (2006) Albin Mikulski (2006) Stefan Majewski
Stefan Majewski
Stefan Majewski is a retired Polish soccer player and subsequently a football manager who recently was the interim manager of the Polish national team.-Career:...
(2006-08)
Notable supporters
Across the years, Cracovia attracted several renowned names, who attended the games and publicly declared their support. Unquestionably, the most famous fan of the team was Karol Józef Wojtyła, who, even after having been named Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
, would often ask visitors from Poland about Cracovia. Also, among other personalities who support the club, there are/were such persons, as Józef Piłsudski, Gustaw Holoubek
Gustaw Holoubek
Gustaw Holoubek was a Polish actor, director, member of the Polish Sejm, and a senator.Holoubek participated in the September Campaign and was a prisoner of war during the Nazi German Occupation of Poland...
, Nigel Kennedy
Nigel Kennedy
Nigel Kennedy is a British born violinist and violist. He made his early career in the classical field, and he has performed and recorded most of the major violin concerti...
, Jerzy Pilch
Jerzy Pilch
Jerzy Pilch is one of the most important contemporary Polish writers and journalists. Critics have compared Pilch's style to Witold Gombrowicz, Milan Kundera, or Bohumil Hrabal....
, Kazimierz Wyka
Kazimierz Wyka
Kazimierz Wyka was a Polish historian, literary critic and a professor of the Jagiellonian University.He was a deputy to Polish parliament from 1952 to 1956....
, Grzegorz Miecugow, Leszek Mazan, Jerzy Harasymowicz, Maciej Maleńczuk and Stefan Friedmann
Stefan Friedmann
Stefan Friedmann is a Polish actor. He has made over 40 appearances in film and television. He starred in the 1978 comedy film What Will You Do When You Catch Me?.-External links:...
and former Sky TV Presenter Richard Keys
Richard Keys
Richard Keys is an English radio presenter best known for his time with British sports channel Sky Sports from 1991 until 2011. In February 2011, Keys along with fellow Sky presenter, Andy Gray signed with talkSPORT....
.
See also
- Football in PolandFootball in PolandFootball is the most popular sport in Poland. Over 400,000 Poles play football regularly, with millions more playing occasionally. The first professional clubs were founded in the early 1900s, and the Polish national football team played its first international match in 1921.There are hundreds of...
- Polish soccer (football) in interwar periodPolish soccer (football) in interwar periodThe interwar period of Polish football began in the late fall of 1918 after First World War, when Poland regained independence, which had been lost at the end of 18th century . The newly created country soon started to organize its administration and several national organizations...
- Polish Football League 1927-1939Polish Football League 1927-1939-Beginnings:In the years 1921–1926, the football championships were organized in a non-league way. Firstly, there were regional games, then 9 champions of those regions were divided into 3 groups - western, southern and northern and finally, there were champions of these groups playing each...
- Polish Championship in FootballPolish Championship in FootballPolish Championship in FootballYear, 1st place, 2nd place, 3rd place* 1913: Cracovia, Pogoń Lwów, Czarni Lwów * 1920: abandoned * 1921: Cracovia, Polonia Warszawa, Warta Poznań...
- ComarchComarchComarch is an international software house and systems integrator based in Kraków, Poland. Comarch provides services in areas such as Telecommunications, Finance and Banking, the Services Sector and to Public Administration...
- Jutrzenka KrakówJutrzenka KrakówJutrzenka Kraków was a Jewish minority Polish football club during the interwar period. The club existed until 1939. Fans and players of the club were generally associated with the Bund political party. The main rival of Jutrzenka was the club Makkabi Kraków, which was associated with the Zionist...
External links
- Official website
- Cracovia Unofficial website
- WikiPasy - encyclopedia about KS Cracovia (in PolishPolish languagePolish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
) - Cracovia unofficial website