Wisła Kraków


Wisła Kraków is a Polish football club based in Kraków. Wisła play in the Ekstraklasa, the top level of the Polish football league system. Wisła is one of the oldest and most successful Polish football clubs. It ranks third in the number of national titles won, behind Górnik Zabrze and Ruch Chorzów, and second in all-time victories. Wisła was founded in 1906 under the name TS Wisła.
The club's coat of arms is a white star on a red background crossed by a blue ribbon.
Wisła Kraków has been one of the most successful Polish football clubs in recent years, winning eight league championships since 1999. Along with league titles, Wisła also won the Polish Cup on four occasions. Wisła also enjoyed some success in European competitions in the 1970s, reaching the quarter-finals in the 1978–79 European Cup and winning the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 1969, 1970 and 1973.

History

Wisła Kraków was founded in 1906 when students of the Second Practical School in Kraków, inspired by their professor Tadeusz Łopuszański, formed a football club.
In this first, historic season of the League, the fight for the championship was decided between two teams: Wisła Kraków and 1. FC Katowice. This rivalry was treated very seriously, not only by the two sides involved, but also by the whole nation. 1. FC was regarded as the team supported by the German minority, while Wisła, at the end of this historic season, represented ambitions of all Poles.
Some time in the fall of 1927 in Katowice, an ill-fated game between 1.FC and Wisła took place. Stakes were very high – the winner would become the Champion. Kraków's side won 2–0 and became the Champion. 1.FC finished second, third was Warta Poznań.
In 1949, the club was renamed to Gwardia-Wisła Kraków. In 1955 the club returned to its original name, TS Wisła. In 1967, the club was once again renamed, to GTS Wisła, a name which held until 1990 when the club reverted to its original name, TS Wisła. In the late 1990s, the football section of the club was incorporated and was renamed Wisła Kraków SSA.
The club has had its ups and downs, winning national championships and earning European qualification. It was also relegated to the second division on three occasions. Since the football section has been bought by Tele-Fonika Kable S.A. in 1998, the team has been far and away the most successful club in Poland, winning seven national championships and finishing in second place three times, totalling ten top two finishes in 12 years.
At international level, Wisła has competed in all three of the European competitions. The club's greatest success came in the 1978–79 season, when Wisła was able to reach the quarter-finals of the European Cup, eventually to be knocked out by Malmö FF 3–5 on aggregate. Most recently, Wisła narrowly missed out on a chance to compete in the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League group stage, being defeated 4–5 by Panathinaikos after extra time.
Wisła also twice reached the second round of the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1967–68 and 1984–85, falling 0–5 and 2–3 by Hamburger SV and Fortuna Sittard respectively.
The White Star has competed in the UEFA Cup ten times.

Stadium

Wisła's Stadium is located at 22 Reymonta Street in Kraków. The stadium was originally built in 1953 and currently has a capacity of 33,326. The stadium was renovated in 2010, being upgraded to UEFA elite standards. The Wisła Stadium has also been chosen as a reserve venue for the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament, jointly held in Poland and Ukraine. The record attendance of 45,000 at Wisła Stadium came on 29 September 1976 when Wisła defeated Celtic 2–0. The venue has been a fortress for Wisła, where the team is especially difficult to defeat. It is worth noting that Wisła holds the all-time European football record for consecutive home games without a loss. The streak began following a loss on 16 September 2001 to KSZO Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, and ended more than five years later on 11 November 2006, when GKS Bełchatów defeated Wisła 4–2. The number of matches without a loss was then settled at 73, overcoming the former Polish record of 48 which belonged to Legia Warsaw. During the 2008–09 season, Wisła lost points at home only twice, drawing with ŁKS Łódź and being defeated by Lech Poznań.

Supporters and rivalries

Fan Friendlies

Wisła fans formerly had relations with Lechia Gdańsk and Śląsk Wrocław until 2016, when their alliance fell apart. They formed a new group with Ruch Chorzów and Widzew Łódź which divided Wisła fans. The club also has relations with Italian side Lazio, Serbian Red Star, and formerly held relations with Unia Tarnów.

The Holy War

The term "Holy War" refers to the intense rivalry between the two Kraków-based teams; Wisła and KS Cracovia. In 1906, the establishment of the two first Polish football clubs, Cracovia and Wisła, created a rivalry that now dates back more than 100 years. The term "Holy War" was first used to describe the rivalry of Kraków's Jewish teams, Makkabi and Jutrzenka. A Jutrzenka defender, Ludwik Gintel, who later joined the Cracovia side referred to the derby match against Wisła as the "Holy War". The phrase was incorporated into a song and has since been popular amongst both Wisła and Cracovia fans.
The first recorded Kraków Derby was contested on 20 September 1908, a 1–1 draw. A historic derby match between Cracovia and Wisła occurred on 8 May 1913. It was the first time Polish teams played a championship game officially sanctioned by FIFA; Cracovia won 2–1. The most famous derby took place in 1948 when after the first post-war season, both Cracovia and Wisła accumulated an even number of points and the championship had to be decided by an additional game played at a neutral venue. On 5 December 1948, Cracovia defeated Wisła 3–1 and was crowned national champions. As of May 2011, the Kraków derby game between Wisła and Cracovia has been contested 183 times, with Wisła winning 82 times, tying 42 times and Cracovia winning 59 times.

Poland's Derby

The match contested between Wisła Kraków and Legia Warsaw is commonly recognized as the greatest rivalry in Polish club football. The two sides have been the most successful clubs in Poland during the past decade and the rivalry between two of Poland's premier cities of Kraków and Warsaw sparks the rivalry even more. The regional differences of Kraków and Warsaw, and the fact that Kraków used to be the capital of Poland before Warsaw and the full official name of Kraków is Stołeczne Królewskie Miasto Kraków, or "Royal Capital City of Kraków" in English, also add a greater meaning to the match.

Additional teams

In addition to the professional team, Wisła Kraków plays also in the Polish Junior league and has a reserve team.

Current squad

Current coaching staff

Domestic

Team records
Records individual
SeasonCompetitionRoundClubScore
1967–68European Cup Winners' Cup1HJK Helsinki4–1, 4–0
1967–68European Cup Winners' Cup2Hamburger SV0–1, 0–4
1976–77UEFA Cup1Celtic2–2, 2–0
1976–77UEFA Cup2Molenbeek1–1, 1–1
1978–79European Cup1Club Brugge1–2, 3–1
1978–79European Cup2Zbrojovka Brno2–2, 1–1
1978–79European Cup1/4FMalmö FF2–1, 1–4
1981–82UEFA Cup1Malmö FF0–2, 1–3
1984–85UEFA Cup Winners' Cup1ÍBV4–2, 3–1
1984–85UEFA Cup Winners' Cup2Fortuna Sittard0–2, 2–1
1998–99UEFA CupQ1Newtown0–0, 7–0
1998–99UEFA CupQ2Trabzonspor5–1, 2–1
1998–99UEFA Cup1Maribor2–0, 3–0
1998–99UEFA Cup2Parma1–1, 1–2
2000–01UEFA CupQŽeljezničar Sarajevo0–0, 3–1
2000–01UEFA Cup1Real Zaragoza1–4, 4–1
2000–01UEFA Cup2Porto0–0, 0–3
2001–02UEFA Champions LeagueQ2Skonto2–1, 1–0
2001–02UEFA Champions LeagueQ3Barcelona3–4, 0–1
2001–02UEFA Cup1Hajduk Split2–2, 1–0
2001–02UEFA Cup2Internazionale0–2, 1–0
2002–03UEFA CupQGlentoran2–0, 4–0
2002–03UEFA Cup1Primorje2–0, 6–1
2002–03UEFA Cup2Parma1–2, 4–1
2002–03UEFA Cup3Schalke 041–1, 4–1
2002–03UEFA Cup4Lazio3–3, 1–2
2003–04UEFA Champions LeagueQ2Omonia5–2, 2–2
2003–04UEFA Champions LeagueQ3Anderlecht1–3, 0–1
2003–04UEFA Cup1NEC2–1, 2–1
2003–04UEFA Cup2Vålerenga0–0, 0–0
2004–05UEFA Champions LeagueQ2WIT Georgia8–2, 3–0
2004–05UEFA Champions LeagueQ3Real Madrid0–2, 1–3
2004–05UEFA Cup1Dinamo Tbilisi4–3, 1–2
2005–06UEFA Champions LeagueQ3Panathinaikos3–1, 1–4
2005–06UEFA Cup1Vitória de Guimarães0–3, 0–1
2006–07UEFA CupQ2SV Mattersburg1–1, 1–0
2006–07UEFA Cup1Iraklis0–1, 2–0
2006–07UEFA CupGroupBlackburn Rovers1–2
2006–07UEFA CupGroupNancy1–2
2006–07UEFA CupGroupBasel3–1
2006–07UEFA CupGroupFeyenoord1–3
2008–09UEFA Champions LeagueQ2Beitar Jerusalem1–2, 5–0
2008–09UEFA Champions LeagueQ3Barcelona0–4, 1–0
2008–09UEFA Cup1Tottenham Hotspur1–2, 1–1
2009–10UEFA Champions LeagueQ2Levadia Tallinn1–1, 0–1
2010–11UEFA Europa LeagueQ2Šiauliai2–0, 5–0
2010–11UEFA Europa LeagueQ3Qarabağ0–1, 2–3
2011–12UEFA Champions LeagueQ2Skonto1–0, 2–0
2011–12UEFA Champions LeagueQ3Litex Lovech2–1, 3–1
2011–12UEFA Champions LeaguePOAPOEL1–0, 1–3
2011–12UEFA Europa LeagueGroupTwente1–4, 2–1
2011–12UEFA Europa LeagueGroupFulham1–0, 1–4
2011–12UEFA Europa LeagueGroupOB1–3, 2–1
2011–12UEFA Europa League1/16FStandard Liège1–1, 0–0

UEFA Ranking


Had international caps for their respective countries. Players whose name is listed in bold represented their countries while playing for Wisła.
; Poland
; Albania
; Australia
; Belarus
; Bosnia and Herzegovina
; Bulgaria
; Cameroon
; Costa Rica
; Czech Republic
; Estonia
; Haiti
; Honduras
; Hungary
; Israel
; Kazakhstan
; Lithuania
; Macedonia
; Moldova
; Montenegro
; Morocco
; Netherlands
; Nigeria
; Romania
; Senegal
; Serbia
; Slovakia
; Slovenia
; Togo
; Uruguay