Raków Częstochowa

Poster advertising a friendly match between Raków Częstochowa and KKS Częstochowa, 1946

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. During the German occupation (World War II), the club did not function. In the years 1951–1955, a Raków's 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.

Match between Raków and Lechia Gdańsk

In the 2020–21 season, Raków finished the league as runners-up. This was the 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 its first major trophy on 2 May 2021, defeating I liga side Arka Gdynia in the final of the Polish Cup by a score of 2–1. 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 and made it to the last qualifying round of the Champions League where they faced FC Copenhagen from Denmark.[15]

Players and pupils

Raków Częstochowa players before a friendly match in 2021

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.

As of 9 September 2023[16]

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

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  SRB Vladan Kovačević 3 DF  SRB Milan Rundić 4 DF  GRE Stratos Svarnas 5 MF  SWE Gustav Berggren 7 MF  CRO Fran Tudor 8 MF  POL Ben Lederman 9 FW  POL Łukasz Zwoliński 10 MF  ESP Ivi 11 FW  ECU John Yeboah 12 GK  GRE Antonis Tsiftsis (on loan from Asteras Tripolis) 14 MF  SRB Srđan Plavšić 15 DF  BIH Adnan Kovačević 18 DF  POL Adrian Gryszkiewicz 19 FW  CRO Ante Crnac 20 MF  BRA Jean Carlos

No. Pos. Nation Player 21 MF  POL Dawid Drachal 22 MF  ROU Deian Sorescu 24 DF  CRO Zoran Arsenić (captain) 25 DF  ROU Bogdan Racovițan 27 MF  POL Bartosz Nowak 30 MF  UKR Vladyslav Kocherhin 33 DF  POL Kamil Pestka 66 MF  GRE Giannis Papanikolaou 77 MF  POL Marcin Cebula 89 GK  POL Kacper Bieszczad (on loan from Zagłębie Lubin) 91 FW  POL Tomasz Walczak 93 MF  GER Sonny Kittel 99 FW  POL Fabian Piasecki

Other players under contract

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

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  POL Piotr Malinowski — MF  POL Daniel Szelągowski — FW  POL Przemysław Oziębała

Out on loan

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

No. Pos. Nation Player 6 MF  POL Szymon Czyż (at Górnik Zabrze until 30 June 2024) 16 DF  POL Oskar Krzyżak (at Warta Poznań until 30 June 2024) 26 GK  POL Xavier Dziekoński (at Korona Kielce until 30 June 2024) 39 GK  POL Jakub Mądrzyk (at Miedź Legnica until 30 June 2024)

No. Pos. Nation Player 71 MF  POL Wiktor Długosz (at Ruch Chorzów until 30 June 2024) 76 GK  POL Jakub Rajczykowski (at Skra Częstochowa until 30 June 2024) — GK  POL Kacper Trelowski (at Śląsk Wrocław until 30 June 2024) — MF  POL Tobiasz Kubik (at Skra Częstochowa until 30 June 2024)

Home game with FC Astana in the 2022–23 UEFA Europa Conference League

As of match played on 26 October 2023

Results

Season	Competition	Round	Opponent	Home	Away	Aggregate
2021–22	UEFA Europa Conference League	2QR	Sūduva	0–0 (a.e.t.)	0–0	0–0 (4–3 p)
		3QR	Rubin Kazan	0–0	1–0 (a.e.t.)	1–0
		PO	Gent	1–0	0–3	1–3
2022–23	UEFA Europa Conference League	2QR	Astana	5–0	1–0	6–0
		3QR	Spartak Trnava	1–0	2–0	3–0
		PO	Slavia Prague	2–1	0–2 (a.e.t.)	2–3
2023–24	UEFA Champions League	1QR	Flora	1–0	3–0	4–0
		2QR	Qarabağ	3–2	1–1	4–3
		3QR	Aris Limassol	2–1	1–0	3–1
		PO	Copenhagen	0–1	1–1	1–2
	UEFA Europa League	GS	Atalanta		0–2
			Sporting CP	1–1
			Sturm Graz	0–1

UEFA Team ranking

See also: UEFA coefficient

As of 16 August 2023.[19]

Rank	Team	Points
243	Paide Linnameeskond	5.000
244	Milsami Orhei	5.000
245	Raków Częstochowa	5.000
246	Tobol	5.000
247	AIK	5.000

Marek Papszun is Raków's most successful coach

• Franciszek Karmański (??–1959)
• Jerzy Orłowski (1959–1960)
• Władysław Siech (1962)
• Czesław Suszczyk (1962–1964)
• Leon Wolny (1964)
• Edward Drabiński (1964–1965)
• Henryk Bobula (1965–1966)
• Jan Basiński (1966)
• Jerzy Wrzos (1966–1967)
• Jan Basiński (?? –1977)
• Janusz Poniedziałek (1977–1979)
• Zbigniew Szumski (1979–1980)
• Jan Basiński (1980–1984)
• Zbigniew Dobosz (1984–1985)
• Gothard Kokott (1 July 1985 – 1 January 1986)
• Jan Basiński (1990–1991)
• Władysław Szarżyński (1991–1992)
• Zbigniew Dobosz (1992 – March 1995)
• Gothard Kokott (March 1995 – 23 April 1997)
• Hubert Kostka (24 April 1997 – 15 September 1997)
• Jan Basiński (16 September 1997 – 1 October 1997)
• Bogusław Hajdas (2 October 1997 – 3 November 1997)
• Adam Zalewski (4 November 1997 – 1 December 1997)
• Gothard Kokott (2 December 1997 – 1 July 1998)
• Zbigniew Dobosz (1998 – 2000)
• Mirosław Sieja (2000 – July 2000)
• Adam Zalewski (July 2000 – 2000)
• Henryk Turek (2000–2001)
• Zbigniew Dobosz (2002–2003)
• Andrzej Samodurow (2003 – 17 October 2005)
• Robert Olbiński (17 October 2005 – 20 August 2008)
• Henryk Turek (2008 – 20 August 2008)
• Leszek Ojrzyński (20 August 2008 – 9 October 2009)
• Robert Olbiński (19 October 2009 – 9 February 2010)
• Jerzy Brzęczek (9 February 2010 – 4 November 2014)
• Dawid Jankowski (6 November 2014 – 18 December 2014)
• Radosław Mroczkowski (18 December 2014 – 3 October 2015)
• Krzysztof Kołaczyk (4 October 2015 – 9 October 2015)
• Przemysław Cecherz (9 October 2015 – 18 April 2016)
• Marek Papszun (18 April 2016 – 28 May 2023)
• Dawid Szwarga (28 May 2023 – present)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Raków Częstochowa.

• Official website (in Polish)
• Unofficial website (in Polish)
• Raków Częstochowa at 90minut.pl (in Polish)