Poland 2019-20
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POLAND 2019-20 www.liberoguide.com POLAND 2019-20 www.liberoguide.com From Polonia Warsaw in 2000 to Piast Gliwice in 2019, seven different clubs have won the Polish title in the first 20 seasons of INTRO the 21st century, making the Ekstraklasa one of the more varied leagues in the former Eastern Bloc. Many played in modern stadiums, three built to co-host Euro 2012, games are reasonably well attended, five clubs in 2018-19 averaging gates in five figures. With the exception of Kraków, Welcome to rivalries are inter-city rather than liberoguide.com! cross-city, the mass hooliganism that The digital travel guide for blighted the 1990s now more sporadic football fans, liberoguide.com than systematic, although an edgy is the most up-to-date resource, fan culture still exists. All-seater city-by-city, club-by-club, to the stadiums and careful segregation game across Europe and North underscore a more family-friendly America. Using only original atmosphere at key venues such as photos and first-hand research, Poznań, Wrocław and Zabrze, where taken and undertaken over seven 23 titles have gone in the post-war seasons, liberoguide.com has period. been put together to enhance every football weekend and Euro Industrial Silesia, whose clubs night experience. From airport dominated the Communist era when to arena, downtown sports bar Kraków derby the Polish national team made the to hotel, liberoguide.com helps semi-finals in two World Cups, last you get the best out of your visit celebrated a league trophy in 1989 – to football’s furthest corners and remains notably affordable, including POLAND 2019-20 until Gliwice’s surprising run in the showcase stadiums. admission to football matches. CONTENTS play-offs in 2019 to nip in ahead of 15 Gdynia 28 Zagłębie Lubin Legia Warsaw. If anything personifies the new 1-3 Intro 16 Arka Gdynia 29 Płock for 2018-19 were Spanish. Much as Poland, it’s the National Stadium in 4-6 Warsaw 17 Gliwice 30 Wisła Płock Their feat not only ended the Poland emerged from Communism as Warsaw, host of the opening game 7 National Stadium 18 Piast Gliwice 31 Poznań champions’ run of three league the most promising market in which of Euro 2012 and the 2015 Europa 8 Legia Warsaw 19 Kielce 32 Lech Poznań crowns but accentuated the attraction to invest, so its football clubs now pay League Final, and invariably full 9 Bełchatów/Częstochowa 20 Korona Kielce 33 Szczecin of Polish football for foreign players attractive salaries, local economies for Poland’s international matches. 10 Raków Częstochowa/ 21-22 Kraków 34 Pogoń Szczecin for whom the Bundesliga, say, would fairly buoyant. For a footballer’s This was not only the site of the GIEKSA Arena 23 Cracovia 35 Wrocław 11 Białystok 24 Wisła Kraków 36 Śląsk Wrocław be a stretch – cornerstone of Piast’s wife or travelling fan, a sojourn in 10th Anniversary Stadium, stage 12 Jagiellonia Białystok 25 Łódź 37 Zabrze campaign was Tom Hateley, the eastern Slovakia may be viewed with a for sports events and mass rallies 13 Gdańsk 26 ŁKS Łódź 38 Górnik Zabrze Monégasque son of Tony, while four certain trepidation – not so dozens of under Communism but, immediately 14 Lechia Gdańsk 27 Lubin of the league’s top six goalscorers destinations in Poland. And yet much afterwards, a vast flea market liberoguide.com 1 POLAND 2019-20 www.liberoguide.com especially after dark. When checking departures (odjazdy) at any major INTRO station, bear in mind that the platform (peron) will also be divided into track GDYNIA (tor) numbers. Look out for the GDAŃSK signboards on the sides of carriages for confirmation you’re boarding the right train. A myriad of local bus companies fills in the gaps in rural areas where rail doesn’t reach. Check schedules SZCZECIN and tickets at en/e-podroznik.pl. In most towns, the bus station (dworzec BIAŁYSTOK autobusowy) is alongside the rail that was set up around it, a bazaar terminal (dworzec PKP). of black-market booty notorious throughout Eastern Europe. Main motorways A1, A2 and A4 are PŁOCK POZNAŃ tolled, credit cards, euros and local Station to stadium złoty accepted. The Polish currency WARSAW Currently Poland’s national carrier, currently values at 4.5zł/€1. LOT (lot.com/gb/en) serves a dozen ŁÓDŹ destinations around the country, Tables & trophies Ryanair (ryanair.com) ten and Poland’s top flight, the Ekstraklasa, easyJet (easyjet.com) four. Public contains 16 clubs who play each LUBIN BEŁCHATÓW transport into cities and around them other home and away. After 30 WROCŁAW is excellent and affordable, and taxis games, the top half contest the KIELCE should also be cheap. championship round, the bottom CZĘSTOCHOWA half, the relegation round, points Polish rail PKP is extensive and already won carrying straight over. ZABRZE wallet-friendly – schedules and Teams who finished 1-4 and 9-12 in GLIWICE tickets are available at rozklad-pkp.pl/ the regular table have the advantage KRAKÓW en. From Warsaw Central to Kraków of four home games of the play-off takes about 2.5hrs, advance singles seven. The title winners enter the costing around 50zł/€11, rising to Champions League First Qualifying 135zł/€30 a few days before travel. Ground, runners-up and third-placed Note that Polish stations have very the Europa League First Qualifying long platforms with few station Ground, joined by the winners of the signs – keep a look out for your stop, Polish Cup. liberoguide.com 2 POLAND 2019-20 www.liberoguide.com For 2019-20, the bottom three teams to the one-off semi-finals in the spring. drop down to the second-tier I liga, The final is held at the National Stadium INTRO whose 18 teams play a straight 34- in Warsaw in early May. game season. Winners and runners-up promote to the Ekstraklasa, with a new Season’s dealings play-off system now in place for those The Ekstraklasa season starts the third finishing 3-6. In one-off games, 3 hosts week of July, runs until just before 6, 4 hosts 5, the winners meeting with a Christmas, restarts in early February place in the Ekstraklasa at stake. then the 30-game section ends around Easter. Matches stretch over four days The bottom three clubs from the I liga around the weekend, with one on Friday drop down to the third-tier II liga also evening (8/8.30pm), two or three on of 18 teams, and with the same play-off Saturday (3pm, 5.30pm, 8pm), two or system for teams 3-6 to find a winner to three on Sunday (3pm, 5.30pm) and one join the top two finishers into the I liga. on Monday (6pm). The bottom four go down to the mainly semi-pro III liga. The seven-game championship/ relegation rounds culminate in the third Divided North-East, North-West, South- week of May, mainly but not exclusively West and South-East, each with 18 on Fridays and Saturdays. teams, this fourth tier sees each winner go up to the II liga, and an average of I liga starts a week later in July than the four teams per region down to the fifth- Ekstraklasa, runs until early December, carry ID with your ticket, this could Stands are usually indicated by points of level IV liga, further localised into 16 takes a three-month winter break, be a stumbling block. However, many the compass and/or sponsored names: leagues. then goes from early March until teams also distribute through outlets Trybuna Połnocna, Trybuna Południowa, the third week of May. Matches are in town, not only club shops, and Trybuna Wschodnia and Trybuna The Polish Cup, Puchar Polski, is generally played Fridays (6pm, 7pm, you just need to produce your own Zachodnia are North Stand, South, East almost as extensive as its English 8.30pm), Saturdays (5pm, 6pm, 7pm, photo ID. With availability generally and West respectively. Sektor gości is counterpart, so much so that the mini- 8pm) and, occasionally, Sundays no problem, buying on the day is also the away enclosure, sektor rodzinny is tournaments to produce 16 regional (5pm), with the odd midweek round possible – again, take ID. for families, prasa for press. Your ticket winners take place the previous season. on Wednesdays (5pm-8.30pm). should show the entrance (wejście), These teams, mainly from the III liga, The cheapest admission behind the sector (sektor), row (rząd) and seat join almost every other club from all top Entry level goals is about 30zł/€6.80, rising to (miejsce). Cena is the price. three tiers – minus four eliminated in All clubs distribute tickets online, 50zł/€11.30 along the sidelines. Piast II liga preliminaries – in September’s most are English-friendly to a Gliwice charge an across-the-board The main Polish beers (piwo) are Round of 64. Home advantage is given certain extent. Club cards are not 40zł/€9. Top games, always against sold at stadium kiosks or at adjoining to the lower-division team in single required but registration is, which Legia and for local derbies, are outlets, some of which are comfortable ties decided on the day. Another three usually means entering your PESEL around 25% dearer. On price lists, sports bars. Polish football would be rounds are played in similar fashion up Polish ID number. As you need to ulgowy means reduced. unthinkable without kiełbasa, sausage. liberoguide.com 3 POLAND 2019-20 Warsaw www.liberoguide.com/warsaw Warsaw WARSAW The impressive National Stadium, built for Euro 2012 and designed in the form of the Polish flag waving in the wind, represents Warsaw’s move onto football’s world stage – and its elevation from the country’s capital to its soccer one.