Raków Częstochowa
| File:Rks rakow crest ai.svg | ||||
| Full name | Robotniczy Klub Sportowy Raków Częstochowa Spółka Akcyjna | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Medaliki (Medallions) | |||
| Founded | 15 March 1921 (as Racovia) | |||
| Ground | Raków Municipal Stadium | |||
| Capacity | 5,500 | |||
| Owner | Michał Świerczewski | |||
| Chairman | Piotr Obidziński | |||
| Manager | Marek Papszun | |||
| League | Ekstraklasa | |||
| 2023–24 | Ekstraklasa, 7th of 18 | |||
| Website | rakow | |||
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Robotniczy Klub Sportowy Raków Częstochowa Spółka Akcyjna (commonly referred to as Raków Częstochowa, or simply Raków) is a Polish professional football club, based in Częstochowa, that competes in the Ekstraklasa, the top tier of national football league system.
History
Sports club "Racovia" was established in 1921 in the village of Raków. The club dissolved in 1925 due to lack of registration. In 1927, the club was reactivated under the name of the Robotniczy Klub Sportowy (Workers Sports Club) Raków. A year later, the village became a district of Częstochowa.[1] The club operated under the patronage of the Polish Socialist Party and was financially supported by the Częstochowa steelworks. In 1937, the club was promoted to Klasa A (third level). During the German occupation (World War II), the club did not function. In the years 1951–1955, a Raków Municipal Stadium with an athletics track was built. In the years 1962–1966, the football team competed in the second league. On 9 July 1967, Raków lost 0–2 to Wisła Kraków in their first Polish Cup final appearance. In 1972, Raków's players reached the semi-finals of the Polish Cup, which they lost to Legia Warsaw. In the years 1978–1980, 1981–1984 and 1990–1994 the club played in the second league. In 1993, the junior team took 2nd place in the Football Junior Championships of Poland.[2] In 1994, for the first time in club history, Raków were promoted to Ekstraklasa. They competed in the top-flight for four seasons until being relegated after the 1997–98 season. The club suffered back-to-back relegations in 1999–2000 and 2000–01, dropping down to the IV liga. The club finally made it to back to the Polish second division, I liga, in 2016.
Promotion and European football
The club won the I liga in 2018–19, earning promotion to Ekstraklasa for the first time in 21 years.[3] In the same season, they impressed in the 2018–19 Polish Cup, reaching the semi-finals of the competition by beating the likes of Lech Poznań in the round of 32[4] and Legia Warsaw in the quarter-finals.[5] They finished the 2019–20 season in 10th place.
In the 2020–21 season, Raków finished the league season as runners-up. This was their highest ever league position in their history, and it secured their place in the newly formed UEFA Europa Conference League qualifiers for the 2021–22 season, their maiden appearance in European football.[6][7] Further success followed when Raków won the 2020–21 Polish Cup, their first major trophy, defeating I liga side Arka Gdynia in the final 2–1 on 2 May 2021. On 17 July 2021, Raków Częstochowa defeated reigning Ekstraklasa title holders Legia Warsaw on penalties to win the 2021 Polish Super Cup.[8] Their first ever appearance in European football was in the second qualifying round of the 2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League, facing Lithuanian team Sūduva, with the game finishing 0–0 (4–3 pens) after both legs.[9] They faced Russian Premier League side Rubin Kazan in the third qualifying round, beating them 1–0 on aggregate score.[10] In the final qualifying round, they faced Belgian side Gent, which they beat 1–0 in the first leg,[11] but lost 0–3 in the second leg, losing 1–3 on aggregate,[12] eliminating them from the competition. On 2 May 2022, Raków defeated Lech Poznań 3–1 and secured its second consecutive Polish Cup.[13] In the race for the league title that season, Raków lost out to the same opponents by just five points, with the champions being decided on the penultimate day of the season. On 9 July 2022, Raków won their second consecutive Polish Super Cup with a 2–0 win over Lech Poznań.[14] In the UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying phase, the team defeated FC Astana (6–0 agg.) and FC Spartak Trnava (3–0 agg.), but lost to Slavia Prague (2–3 agg.) in the play-off round. On 7 May 2023, Raków won the Ekstraklasa championship for the first time in their history,[15] and thus qualified for the Champions League, where they reached the last qualifying round and faced FC Copenhagen from Denmark. Raków subsequently played in the Europa League that season, where they were knocked out in the group stages.
Players and pupils
The club's alumni include Jakub Błaszczykowski, Jerzy Brzęczek and Jacek Magiera. Former Polish internationals such as Jacek Krzynówek and Tomasz Kiełbowicz also played for the club.
Players
Current squad
- As of 30 November 2024[16]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Notable players
Players who have appeared for their respective national team at any time. Players whose name is listed in bold represented their countries while playing for Raków.
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Honours
League
- Ekstraklasa
- I liga (second division)
- Winners: 1993–94, 2018–19
- II liga (third division)
- Winners: 1962, 1977–78, 1980–81, 1989–90, 2016–17
- III liga (fourth division)
- Winners: 1936–37, 1956, 2004–05
Cups
Raków Częstochowa in European football
- As of match played on 14 December 2023
| Competition | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | GS | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UEFA Champions League | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 6 | +6 |
| UEFA Europa League | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 10 | –7 |
| UEFA Europa Conference League | 13 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 6 | +8 |
| Total | 27 | 14 | 6 | 7 | 29 | 22 | +7 |
Results
| Season | Competition | Round | Opponent | Home | Away | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | UEFA Europa Conference League | 2QR | Lithuania Sūduva | 0–0 (a.e.t.) | 0–0 | 0–0 (4–3 p) |
| 3QR | Russia Rubin Kazan | 0–0 | 1–0 (a.e.t.) | 1–0 | ||
| PO | Belgium Gent | 1–0 | 0–3 | 1–3 | ||
| 2022–23 | UEFA Europa Conference League | 2QR | Kazakhstan Astana | 5–0 | 1–0 | 6–0 |
| 3QR | Slovakia Spartak Trnava | 1–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 | ||
| PO | Czech Republic Slavia Prague | 2–1 | 0–2 (a.e.t.) | 2–3 | ||
| 2023–24 | UEFA Champions League | 1QR | Estonia Flora | 1–0 | 3–0 | 4–0 |
| 2QR | Azerbaijan Qarabağ | 3–2 | 1–1 | 4–3 | ||
| 3QR | Cyprus Aris Limassol | 2–1 | 1–0 | 3–1 | ||
| PO | Denmark Copenhagen | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | ||
| UEFA Europa League | GS | Italy Atalanta | 0–4 | 0–2 | 4th | |
| Portugal Sporting CP | 1–1 | 1–2 | ||||
| Austria Sturm Graz | 0–1 | 1–0 |
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UEFA Team ranking
As of 16 August 2023.[19]
| Rank | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 243 | Estonia Paide Linnameeskond | 5.000 |
| 244 | Moldova Milsami Orhei | 5.000 |
| 245 | Poland Raków Częstochowa | 5.000 |
| 246 | Kazakhstan Tobol | 5.000 |
| 247 | Sweden AIK | 5.000 |
Coaches and managers
- Poland Franciszek Karmański (??–1959)
- Poland Jerzy Orłowski (1959–1960)
- Poland Władysław Siech (1962)
- Poland Czesław Suszczyk (1962–1964)
- Poland Leon Wolny (1964)
- Poland Edward Drabiński (1964–1965)
- Poland Henryk Bobula (1965–1966)
- Poland Jan Basiński (1966)
- Poland Jerzy Wrzos (1966–1967)
- Poland Jan Basiński (?? –1977)
- Poland Janusz Poniedziałek (1977–1979)
- Poland Zbigniew Szumski (1979–1980)
- Poland Jan Basiński (1980–1984)
- Poland Zbigniew Dobosz (1984–1985)
- Poland Gothard Kokott (1 July 1985 – 1 January 1986)
- Poland Jan Basiński (1990–1991)
- Poland Władysław Szarżyński (1991–1992)
- Poland Zbigniew Dobosz (1992 – March 1995)
- Poland Gothard Kokott (March 1995 – 23 April 1997)
- Poland Hubert Kostka (24 April 1997 – 15 September 1997)
- Poland Jan Basiński (16 September 1997 – 1 October 1997)
- Poland Bogusław Hajdas (2 October 1997 – 3 November 1997)
- Poland Adam Zalewski (4 November 1997 – 1 December 1997)
- Poland Gothard Kokott (2 December 1997 – 1 July 1998)
- Poland Zbigniew Dobosz (1998–2000)
- Poland Mirosław Sieja (2000 – July 2000)
- Poland Adam Zalewski (July 2000 – 2000)
- Poland Henryk Turek (2000–2001)
- Poland Zbigniew Dobosz (2002–2003)
- Poland Andrzej Samodurow (2003 – 17 October 2005)
- Poland Robert Olbiński (17 October 2005 – 20 August 2008)
- Poland Henryk Turek (2008 – 20 August 2008)
- Poland Leszek Ojrzyński (20 August 2008 – 9 October 2009)
- Poland Robert Olbiński (19 October 2009 – 9 February 2010)
- Poland Jerzy Brzęczek (9 February 2010 – 4 November 2014)
- Poland Dawid Jankowski (6 November 2014 – 18 December 2014)
- Poland Radosław Mroczkowski (18 December 2014 – 3 October 2015)
- Poland Krzysztof Kołaczyk (4 October 2015 – 9 October 2015)
- Poland Przemysław Cecherz (9 October 2015 – 18 April 2016)
- Poland Marek Papszun (18 April 2016 – 28 May 2023)
- Poland Dawid Szwarga (28 May 2023 – 30 June 2024)
- Poland Marek Papszun (1 July 2024 – present)
References
- ↑ Rozporządzenie Rady Ministrów z dnia 14 marca 1928 r. o zmianie granic miasta Częstochowy w powiecie częstochowskim, województwie kieleckiem., Dz. U., 1928, vol. 40, No. 391
- ↑ "Portal Kibiców Rakowa Częstochowa:Historia". rakow.com.pl (in Polish). 30 August 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ↑ "Fortuna 1 Liga. Sezon 2018/19 w statystykach. Zobacz, kto najczęściej posiadał piłkę, a kto najwięcej dryblował". Gol24 (in Polish). 27 May 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ↑ "Raków Częstochowa - Lech Poznań. Niespodzianka! Kolejorz odpada z Pucharu Polski!". Sport.pl (in polski). 30 October 2018. Retrieved 2021-08-29.
- ↑ "Puchar Polski. Raków wyeliminował Legię! [ZAPIS RELACJI] Piłka nożna - Sport.pl". www.sport.pl. Retrieved 2021-08-29.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Football: Raków Częstochowa beat Arka Gdynia in Polish Cup final". Polskie Radio. 2 May 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
- ↑ "TABELA PKO BANK POLSKI EKSTRAKLASY 2020/2021". Ekstraklasa (in Polish). Retrieved 13 May 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ↑ "Raków z Superpucharem". 90 Minut (in Polish). 17 July 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ↑ UEFA.com. "Raków-Sūduva | UEFA Europa Conference League". UEFA.com. Retrieved 2021-08-29.
- ↑ UEFA.com. "Rubin-Raków | UEFA Europa Conference League". UEFA.com. Retrieved 2021-08-29.
- ↑ UEFA.com. "Raków-Gent | UEFA Europa Conference League". UEFA.com. Retrieved 2021-08-29.
- ↑ UEFA.com. "Gent-Raków | UEFA Europa Conference League". UEFA.com. Retrieved 2021-08-29.
- ↑ "Raków zdobył Puchar Polski". 90minut.pl (in Polish). 2 May 2022. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ↑ "Raków z Superpucharem". 90minut.pl (in Polish). 9 July 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ↑ "Raków mistrzem Polski! Zdobył tytuł dwie godziny po meczu". sport.pl (in Polish). 7 May 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ↑ "Current squad". Raków Częstochowa. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
- ↑ Mogielnicki, Paweł (11 May 2018). "Poland – List of Cup Finals". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
- ↑ "Walka o Superpuchar trwa nadal! Śledź relację! [NA ŻYWO]" [The fight for the Super Cup continues! Follow the report! [LIVE]]. sport.tvp.pl (in polski). 17 July 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
- ↑ "Club coefficients | UEFA Coefficients". UEFA.com.
External links
- Official website (in Polish)
- Unofficial website (in Polish)
- Raków Częstochowa at 90minut.pl (in Polish)