Śląsk Wrocław

Śląsk Wrocław
Full nameWrocławski Klub Sportowy Śląsk Wrocław Spółka Akcyjna
Nickname(s)WKS
Wojskowi (The Militarians)
Founded1947 (1947)
GroundTarczyński Arena Wrocław
Capacity45,105[1]
OwnerWrocław
ChairmanMichał Mazur
ManagerAnte Šimundža[2]
LeagueI liga
2024–25Ekstraklasa, 17th of 18 (relegated)
Websitewww.slaskwroclaw.pl

Wrocławski Klub Sportowy Śląsk Wrocław Spółka Akcyjna, commonly known as WKS Śląsk Wrocław (Polish pronunciation: [ɕlɔ̃zɡ ˈvrɔt͡swaf]), is a Polish professional football club based in Wrocław that plays in I liga, the second level of the Polish football league system.

Two-time Polish champion (1977, 2012), four-time Polish runner-up (1978, 1982, 2011, 2024), two-time Polish Cup winner (1976, 1987), two-time Polish Super Cup winner (1987, 2012) and Ekstraklasa Cup winner (2009).

The club's home is Tarczyński Arena Wrocław, a 45,105 capacity stadium in Wrocław which was one of the host venues during UEFA Euro 2012. The club previously played at Olympic Stadium and Stadion Oporowska.

History

The club has had many names since its foundation in 1947. They are listed below;[3]

  • 1947 – Pionier Wrocław
  • 1949 – Legia Wrocław
  • 1950 – Centralny Wojskowy Klub Sportowy Wrocław
  • 1951 – Okręgowy Wojskowy Klub Sportowy Wrocław
  • 1957 – Wojskowy Klub Sportowy Śląsk Wrocław
  • 1997 – Wrocławski Klub Sportowy Śląsk Wrocław Sportowa Spółka Akcyjna
  • Wrocławski Klub Sportowy Śląsk Wrocław Spółka Akcyjna

Śląsk is the Polish name of Silesia, the historical region in which Wrocław is located.

Honours

League

Cup

Youth teams

The fans

Śląsk fans are one of the largest supporter movements in Poland. In the early 1970s, they were one of the pioneers of football supporters groups. The Śląsk supporters call themselves Nobles from Wrocław (Polish: Szlachta z Wrocławia). Notable Śląsk fans include: Waldemar Kasta, a rapper and ring announcer KSW, that also created fan songs for Śląsk, Hubert Hurkacz, a Polish tennis player.

Friendships

They have a friendship with Lechia Gdańsk with which the two clubs fans have had a friendship since 1977, and have had friendly relations since 1967. This is the oldest fan friendship in Polish football. During the 2017–18 season, the two sets of fans celebrated their 40th Friendship Anniversary. Games between the two are often called "the friendship match".

The fans have also had a friendship with Motor Lublin dating back to the 1990s. Due to the clubs' long friendship, Śląsk were invited to play a friendly in 2015 in Lublin to celebrate Motor's 65th anniversary.

Despite the clubs' close proximity, Śląsk also hold friendly relations with Miedź Legnica. The fans also have friendships with fans from both SFC Opava, from the Czech Republic, and Ferencvárosi TC, from Hungary.[9]

Rivals

Their biggest rivals are Zagłębie Lubin, with the games between the two known as the "Lower Silesian Derby" (Polish: Derby Dolnego Śląska). The two teams are the largest in the Lower Silesia region, with Śląsk representing Wrocław (the capital of Lower Silesia) and Zagłębie representing Lubin, a traditionally industrial and copper mining city. Both teams have won the Ekstraklasa twice, Śląsk in 1977 & 2012, and Zagłębie in 1991 & 2007. They also hold a big rivalry with Legia Warsaw, due to both clubs having military roots. There also is a rivalry with Widzew Łódź, traditionally only due to competitive reasons, however, after the murder of a 17 year old Śląsk fan by a group of Widzew hooligans in Walichnowy, the rivalry became more heated than ever, and it still holds this status.

The fans of Lechia and Śląsk formally had a friendship with the Wisła Kraków fans, creating the "Three Kings of Great Cities" (Polish: Trzej Królowie Wielkich Miast) coalition. Wisła fans left the coalition in 2016. Since 2016 Wisła Kraków itself has since turned into a rivalry.

Arka Gdynia, Lech Poznań and Cracovia are rivals dating back to the time with their alliance with Wisła. This was due to the two largest fan coalitions in Poland, "Three Kings of Great Cities" (Śląsk, Lechia, Wisła) and "The Great Triad" (Lech, Arka, Cracovia) with any of the opposite coalition teams playing each other resulting in a big and hotly contested match.

Stadium

The Wrocław Stadium is the highest fourth category football (soccer) stadium built for the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship. The Stadium is located on aleja Śląska in the western part of the city (Pilczyce district). It is the home stadium of the Śląsk Wrocław football team playing in the Polish PKO Ekstraklasa. The stadium has a capacity of 42,771 spectators, all seated and all covered. The Municipal Stadium in Wroclaw is the largest arena in Ekstraklasa and the third largest in the country (after National Stadium and Silesia Stadium). Stadium construction began in April 2009 and was completed in September 2011. Stadium opening took place at 10 September 2011 with boxing fight between Tomasz Adamek and Vitali Klitschko for WBC heavyweight title. The inaugural football match was held on 10 October 2011, between Śląsk Wrocław and Lechia Gdańsk. Śląsk won 1–0, with Johan Voskamp becoming the first goalscorer on the new stadium.

Śląsk Wrocław in European football

Śląsk Wrocław in European football
ClubŚląsk Wrocław
First entry1975–76 UEFA Cup
Latest entry2024–25 UEFA Conference League

Śląsk Wrocław's score is shown first in each case

Season Competition Round Opponent Home Away Aggregate
1975–76 UEFA Cup 1R GAIS 4–2 1–2 5–4
2R Royal Antwerp 1–1 2–1 3–2
3R Liverpool 1–2 0–3 1–5
1976–77 European Cup Winners' Cup 1R Floriana 2–0 4–1 6–1
2R Bohemians 3–0 1–0 4–0
QF Napoli 0–0 0–2 0–2
1977–78 European Cup 1R Levski-Spartak 2–2 0–3 2–5
1978–79 UEFA Cup 1R Pezoporikos 5–1 2–2 7–3
2R ÍBV Vestmannaeyjar 2–1 2–0 4–1
3R Borussia Mönchengladbach 2–4 1–1 3–5
1980–81 UEFA Cup 1R Dundee United 0–0 2–7 2–7
1982–83 UEFA Cup 1R Dynamo Moscow 2–2 1–0 3–2
2R Servette 0–2 1–5 1–7
1987–88 European Cup Winners' Cup 1R Real Sociedad 0–2 0–0 0–2
2011–12 UEFA Europa League 2Q Dundee United 1–0 2–3 3–3[nb 1]
3Q Lokomotiv Sofia 0–0 0–0 0–0[nb 2]
PO Rapid București 1–3 1–1 2–4
2012–13 UEFA Champions League 2Q Budućnost Podgorica 0–1 2–0 2–1
3Q Helsingborg 0–3 1–3 1–6
2012–13 UEFA Europa League PO Hannover 96 3–5 1–5 4–10
2013–14 UEFA Europa League 2Q Rudar Pljevlja 4–0 2–2 6–2
3Q Club Brugge 1–0 3–3 4–3
PO Sevilla 0–5 1–4 1–9
2015–16 UEFA Europa League 1Q NK Celje 3–1 1–0 4–1
2Q IFK Göteborg 0–0 0–2 0–2
2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League 1Q Paide Linnameeskond 2–0 2–1 4–1
2Q Ararat Yerevan 3–3 4–2 7–5
3Q Hapoel Be'er Sheva 2–1 0−4 2−5
2024–25 UEFA Conference League 2Q Riga 3–1 0–1 3–2
3Q St. Gallen 3–2 0–2 3–4
Notes
  • 1Q: First qualifying round
  • 2Q: Second qualifying round
  • 3Q: Third qualifying round
  • PO: Play-off round
  • 1R: First round
  • 2R: Second round
  • 3R: Third round
  • QF: Quarter-finals

Best results in European competitions

Season Achievement Notes
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
1976–77 Quarter-final lost to Napoli 0–0 in Wrocław, 0–2 in Naples
UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League
1975–76 Round of 16 lost to Liverpool 1–2 in Wrocław, 0–3 in Liverpool
1978–79 Round of 16 lost to Borussia 1–1 in Mönchengladbach, 2–4 in Wrocław

Players

Current squad

As of 7 July 2025[10]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
3 DF  POL Serafin Szota
5 DF  BUL Aleks Petkov
6 DF  POL Łukasz Gerstenstein
7 MF  POL Piotr Samiec-Talar
13 DF  POL Krzysztof Kurowski
17 MF  CZE Petr Schwarz (captain)
18 MF  GER Simon Schierack
19 MF  ESP Arnau Ortiz
22 MF  POL Mateusz Żukowski
24 MF  UKR Yehor Sharabura
28 DF  ESP Marc Llinares
29 MF  POL Jakub Jezierski
No. Pos. Nation Player
30 GK  POL Bartosz Głogowski
33 DF  UKR Yehor Matsenko
78 DF  POL Tommaso Guercio
DF  AUT Marko Dijakovic
MF  POL Maksymilian Dziuba (on loan from Lech Poznań)
MF  KOS Besar Halimi
DF  POL Mariusz Malec
MF  BIH Luka Marjanac
MF  POL Patryk Sokołowski
GK  POL Michał Szromnik
GK  POL Hubert Śliczniak
MF  POL Damian Warchoł

Other players under contract

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
GK  POL Oskar Mielcarz
DF  POL Konrad Poprawa

Notable players

Had international caps for their respective countries.

Managers

Śląsk Wrocław (women)

The Śląsk Wrocław's women's team was formed in 2020, taking the place of KŚ AZS Wrocław in the Ekstraliga.[13]

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ Won on away goals.
  2. ^ Won 4–3 on penalties.

References

  1. ^ "Fakty i liczby". Archived from the original on 25 November 2021. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Oficjalnie: Śląsk Wrocław ma nowego trenera! Co za prezent na święta". Sport.pl (in Polish). 24 December 2024. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
  3. ^ "Historia Wroclawskiego Klubu" (in Polish). WKS Śląsk Wrocław Historia Klubu. Archived from the original on 11 June 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
  4. ^ Kaczmarek, Michal; Dabrowski, Piotr (19 May 2011). "Poland – List of Champions". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
  5. ^ Mogielnicki, Pawel (2 June 2010). "Poland – List of Cup Finals". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 11 August 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
  6. ^ Di Maggio, Roberto (21 May 2009). "Poland – List of League Cup Finals". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
  7. ^ Mogielnicki, Pawel (17 September 2010). "Poland – List of Super Cup Finals". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 21 September 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
  8. ^ "Śląsk mistrzem Polski juniorów młodszych". 90minut.pl (in Polish). 12 June 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  9. ^ "TKWM Three Kings of Great Cities". October 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  10. ^ "Pierwsza drużyna" (in Polish). Śląsk Wrocław. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
  11. ^ "Vitezslav Lavička odchodzi ze Śląska Wrocław" (in Polish). Śląsk Wrocław. 21 March 2021. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
  12. ^ "Jacek Magiera trenerem Śląska" (in Polish). 90minut. 22 March 2021. Archived from the original on 19 May 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
  13. ^ "WKS Śląsk Wrocław Sekcja Piłki Nożnej Kobiet". slaskwroclaw.pl. Archived from the original on 14 August 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2020.