Legia Warsaw

This article is about the football team. For other sections of the sports club, see Legia Warsaw (disambiguation).
Legia Warsaw
Full name Legia Warszawa SA
Nickname(s) Wojskowi ("Militarians"),
Legioniści ("Legionnaires", "Legionarries")
Founded March 1916 as Drużyna Sportowa Legia
Ground Polish Army Stadium
Ground Capacity 31,800[1]
Chairman Bogusław Leśnodorski
Manager Jacek Magiera
League Ekstraklasa
2015–16 Ekstraklasa, 1st
Website Club home page

Legia Warszawa /ˈlɛɡjə/ (Polish pronunciation: [ˈlɛɡʲja varˈʂava]), known in English as Legia Warsaw, is a professional football club based in Warsaw, Poland. Legia is one of the most successful Polish football clubs in history winning eleven Ekstraklasa Champions titles,[2] a record 18 Polish Cup trophies and four Polish SuperCup matches. The club's home venue is the Polish Army Stadium.

Legia was formed between 5 and 15 March 1916 during military operations in World War I on the Eastern Front in the neighborhood of Maniewicze in Volhynia, as the main football club of the Polish Legions. After the war, the club was reactivated in December 1920 in an officer casino in Warsaw as Wojskowy Klub Sportowy Warszawa, renamed Legia in 1923 after merger with another local club, Korona. It became the main official football club of the Polish Army – Wojskowy Klub Sportowy Legia Warszawa (Military Sports Club Legia Warsaw). From 1949 to 1957, Legia was known as CWKS Warszawa (Central Military Sports Club Warsaw).

Before 8 April 2004 it was owned by Pol-Mot and from 8 April 2004 (sold for 3 million złoty) until 9 January 2014, it was owned by media conglomerate ITI Group[3] Currently the club is owned by Dariusz Mioduski (60%), Bogusław Leśnodorski (20%) and Maciej Wandzel (20%) – who serves as the club's chairman. The first two acquired the club for an undisclosed sum, which also included paying off debts made by previous ownership, and Wandzel joined them in September 2014.

History

Before World War II

Legia Warsaw in 1916

Legia was formed between 5 and 15 March 1916 during military operations in World War I on the Eastern Front in the neighborhood of Maniewicze in Volhynia, as the main football club of the Polish Legions. The team had started its first training earlier in the spring of 1915, in the city of Piotrków Trybunalski. In July 1916, due to the Brusilov Offensive, Legia permanently moved to the capital city of Warsaw.

Its first game in Warsaw was played on 29 April 1917 against the local rival Polonia Warsaw. The score was a draw – 1–1. Until the end of World War I, Legia had played nine games in Warsaw; it won six and drew three. Its first away game was against KS Cracovia, which Legia won 2–1. With the win over Cracovia, at that time the current Polish first league champion, Legia was baptized as the unofficial champion of the country.

Legia played its first match in Polish first league in Łódź on 8 May 1927 against ŁKS Łódź, winning 6–1. Marian Łańko scored the first league goal for the club (in the same game he scored a hat-trick). Since 1930, Legia has played at the Polish Army Stadium, the construction of which was a gift to the club from Józef Piłsudski. In 1936 Legia was relegated to the second division, where it remained until the end of World War II.

After World War II

Kazimierz Deyna monument near the Polish Army Stadium

After World War II, Legia boosted its squad with many new players and at the end of 1949 the club changed its name again, this time to Centralny Wojskowy Klub Sportowy (Central Army Sports Club). Eventually Kazimierz Górski joined the club and became a player for both the team and the Poland national team.

The 1970s

The 1970s were known as Poland's golden age of football. From the 1960s to the 1970s, Legia's roster included powerful football players such as Jan Tomaszewski, Kazimierz Deyna, and Robert Gadocha. In the 1969–70 European Cup Legia achieved a successful campaign by reaching the semi-finals alongside Feyenoord, Leeds United, and Celtic. The following year, Legia reached the quarter-finals where they lost to Atlético Madrid.

The 1980s

Though the club had many national team players including Kazimierski, Okoński, Dziekanowski, Janas, Majewski, Buncol, Kubicki, Wdowczyk and others, the club had problems winning any league titles. However, thanks to winning four Polish Cups, the team was able to compete in European competitions.

One of the more memorable European runs was the near upset against Internazionale during the UEFA Cup 1985–86, after two 0–0 games Legia lost in extra time. The next season Legia were yet again drawn against Inter, this time winning at home 3–2 but losing away 1–0 thus losing on away goals.

Legia also won its first Polish SuperCup defeating Ruch Chorzów 3–0 in 1989.

The 1990s

Winning the Polish Cup for the 9th time in the 1989–90 season Legia subsequently played in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. The team then managed by Władysław Stachurski went through to the semi-finals of the competition facing Manchester United. Legia lost the first match in Warsaw 1–3 and had drawn in Manchester 1–1. After winning the 1994–95 season, Legia qualified for the 1995–96 UEFA Champions League. The team got through to the quarter-finals stage against Panathinaikos drawing the first game 0–0 and losing 3–0 in the second.

2000–2010

In 2002, Legia lifted the seventh Ekstraklasa champion title. As a result, Legia qualified for the 2002–03 UEFA Champions League. Following a win with Vardar in the second qualifying round, Legia lost the third qualifying round to Barcelona. In 2002, after a 3–0 win and 1–2 loss against Wisła Kraków, Legia won the Ekstraklasa Cup. The 2005–06 Ekstraklasa season resulted in Legia's eighth Polish championship.

2011–today

Legia won its 10th title with another league championship at the end of the 2013–14 Ekstraklasa season. Legia qualified for the 2016-17 Champions League group stages for the first time in 21 years after defeating Dundalk on August 23, 2016.

Stadium

Main article: Polish Army Stadium

Legia plays its games at Legia Warsaw Municipal Stadium of Marshal Józef Piłsudski (Polish: Stadion Miejski Legii Warszawa im. Marszałka Józefa Piłsudskiego), traditionally also referred to as the Polish Army Stadium (Polish: Stadion Wojska Polskiego), which is an all-seater football-specific stadium in Warsaw, Poland. Legia has been playing there since 9 August 1930. With space for 31,800 spectators it is the 5th biggest football stadium in the Ekstraklasa. The stadium underwent significant reconstruction between 2008 and 2011, during which all of the stands were demolished and replaced with bigger and more modern ones which increased the stadium's capacity from 13,500 to 31,800 seats. The former Polish Army Stadium is currently owned by the City of Warsaw.

Stadium exterior 
VIP Stand 
The eastern stand named after Kazimierz Deyna 

Sponsors

Years Football kit Main sponsor
1978–90 Adidas  –
1990–91 Umbro Müller
1991 Lotto
1992–95 Adidas FSO
1995–96 Canal +
1996–00 Nike Daewoo
2001 Adidas
2001–02 Pol-Mot
2002–03 Kredyt Bank
2003–08 Królewskie
2008–10 n (Poland)
2011–14 Active Jet
2014– Fortuna

Club partners

Supporters and rivalries

As one of the most successful clubs in Poland, Legia Warsaw is also one of its most popular clubs. Legia has gained devotion from generations of fans from Warsaw as well as around the country. Legia supporters are generally considered very spontaneous, dedicated and sometimes fanatical. Accordingly, in terms of quality of football support, they are also often described as the best supporters in Poland.[4] Groups of fans follow Legia on practically all away matches, both domestic and international. Supporters of Legia occasionally attract also some negative attention, in particular after events such as riots in Lithuania during a match against Vėtra Vilnius on 10 July 2007.

The old Żyleta stand

Traditionally, the most devoted and spontaneous fans occupy the Żyleta stand in their stadium. Before the stadium renovation (2008–11), the "old" Żyleta referred only to the center section within the eastern stand of the stadium (occasionally, it would also refer to eastern stand as a whole). There is a special exhibition dedicated to the "old" Żyleta in the Legia club museum.[5] Today, after the stadium's renovation, the "new" Żyleta means the whole northern stand of stadium (located behind the goal).

As regards their political sentiments, the supporters of Legia tend to be more right wing. During communist times, in particular during the 1980s, Legia fans showed their patriotic and strongly anti-communistic views. Today, the fans actively participate in annual commemorations of the Warsaw Uprising and Polish Independence Day. Legia fans are also vocal with their views on domestic issues, e.g. their conflict with former Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, as well as on international politics, e.g. by way of displaying banners reading "Kosovo is Serbian" at the stadium. On 22 October 2014, when Legia played with the Ukrainian Metalists they displayed a banner with the names Lwów (Lviv) and Wilno (Vilnius) along with the coat of arms of Rzeczpospolita and flag of Poland on background, what led to negative reactions. On 19 August 2015, in Lviv and Kiev, where Legia played with Zorya, clashes between Ukrainian and Polish fans occurred. Legia Warsaw supporters maintain friendly relations with fans of Zagłębie Sosnowiec and Olimpia Elbląg. Internationally, Legia supporters maintain friendly relations with fans of ADO Den Haag and Juventus. Their main rivals include Polonia Warsaw, Lech Poznań, Wisła Kraków and Widzew Łódź.

Warsaw derby

The Warsaw derby is a match between Legia and Polonia Warsaw.

Matches Legia wins Draws Polonia wins
78292029

Achievements

Legia Warsaw museum opened in 2006

Domestic

Europe

Legia in Europe

Note: Bold means home results, italics means neutral place results or penalised result

Season Competition Round Club Score
1956–57 European Cup QR Czechoslovakia Slovan Bratislava 0–4, 2–0
1960–61 European Cup QR Denmark AGF Aarhus 0–3, 1–0
1964–65 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1R Austria ESV Admira-NÖ Energie Wien 3–1, 1–0
2R Turkey Galatasaray 2–1, 0–1, 1–0
QF Germany 1860 München 0–4, 0–0
1966–67 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1R East Germany BSG Chemie Leipzig 0–3, 2–2
1968–69 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 1R Germany 1860 München 6–0, 3–2
2R Belgium KSV Waregem 0–1, 2–0
3R Hungary Újpest 0–1, 2–2
1969–70 European Cup 1R Romania UT Arad 2–1, 8–0
2R France Saint-Étienne 2–1, 1–0
QF Turkey Galatasaray 1–1, 2–0
SF Netherlands Feyenoord 0–0, 0–2
1970–71 European Cup 1R Sweden IFK Göteborg 4–0, 2–1
2R Belgium Standard Liège 0–1, 2–0
QF Spain Atlético Madrid 0–1, 2–1 (a)
1971–72 UEFA Cup 1R Switzerland Lugano 3–1, 0–0
2R Romania Rapid București 0–4, 2–0
1972–73 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1R Iceland Víkingur 2–0, 9–0
2R Italy AC Milan 1–1, 1–2 (a.e.t.)
1973–74 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1R Greece PAOK 1–1, 0–1
1974–75 UEFA Cup 1R France Nantes 2–2, 0–1
1980–81 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1R Bulgaria Slavia Sofia 1–3, 1–0
1981–82 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1R Norway Vålerenga 2–2, 4–1
2R Switzerland Lausanne-Sport 2–1, 1–1
QF Soviet Union Dinamo Tbilisi 0–1, 0–1
1985–86 UEFA Cup 1R Norway Viking 3–0, 1–1
2R Hungary Videoton FC Fehérvár 1–0, 1–1
3R Italy Internazionale 0–0, 0–1 (a.e.t.)
1986–87 UEFA Cup 1R Soviet Union Dnipro 0–0, 1–0
2R Italy Internazionale 3–2, 0–1 (a)
1988–89 UEFA Cup 1R Germany Bayern Munich 1–3, 3–7
1989–90 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1R Spain Barcelona 1–1, 0–1
1990–91 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1R Luxembourg Swift Hesperange 3–0, 3–0
2R Scotland Aberdeen 0–0, 1–0
QF Italy Sampdoria 1–0, 2–2
SF England Manchester United 1–3, 1–1
1994–95 UEFA Champions League QR Croatia Hajduk Split 0–1, 0–4
1995–96 UEFA Champions League QR Sweden IFK Göteborg 1–0, 2–1
GR Norway Rosenborg 3–1, 0–4
GR Russia Spartak Moscow 1–2, 0–1
GR England Blackburn Rovers 1–0, 0–0
QF Greece Panathinaikos 0–0, 0–3
1996–97 UEFA Cup 1QR Luxembourg Jeunesse Esch 4–2, 3–0
2QR Finland FC Haka 3–0, 1–1
1R Greece Panathinaikos 2–4, 2–0 (a)
2R Turkey Beşiktaş 1–1, 1–2
1997–98 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup QR Northern Ireland Glenavon 1–1, 4–0
1R Italy Vicenza 0–2, 1–1
1999–00 UEFA Cup QR Republic of Macedonia Vardar 5–0, 4–0
1R Cyprus Anorthosis Famagusta 0–1, 2–0
2R Italy Udinese 0–1, 1–1
2001–02 UEFA Cup QR Luxembourg FC Etzella 4–0, 2–1
1R Sweden IF Elfsborg 4–1, 6–1
2R Spain Valencia 1–1, 1–6
2002–03 UEFA Champions League 2QR Republic of Macedonia Vardar 3–1, 1–1
3QR Spain Barcelona 0–3, 0–1
2002–03 UEFA Cup 1R Netherlands Utrecht 4–1, 3–1
2R Germany Schalke 04 2–3, 0–0
2004–05 UEFA Cup 2QR Georgia (country) FC Tbilisi 1–0, 6–0
1R Austria Austria Wien 0–1, 1–3
2005–06 UEFA Cup 2QR Switzerland Zürich 0–1, 1–4
2006–07 UEFA Champions League 2QR Iceland FH Hafnarfjörður 1–0, 2–0
3QR Ukraine Shakhtar Donetsk 0–1, 2–3
2006–07 UEFA Cup 1R Austria Austria Wien 1–1, 0–1
2007 UEFA Intertoto Cup 2R Lithuania FK Vėtra (0–3 w/o)
2008–09 UEFA Cup 1QR Belarus FC Gomel 0–0, 4–1
2QR Russia Moscow 1–2, 0–2
2009–10 UEFA Europa League 2QR Georgia (country) Olimpi Rustavi 3–0, 1–0
3QR Denmark Brøndby 1–1, 2–2 (a)
2011–12 UEFA Europa League 3QR Turkey Gaziantepspor 1–0, 0–0
PO Russia Spartak Moscow 2–2, 3–2
GR Netherlands PSV Eindhoven 0–1, 0–3
Israel Hapoel Tel Aviv 3–2, 0–2
Romania Rapid București 1–0, 3–1
R32 Portugal Sporting CP 2–2, 0–1
2012–13 UEFA Europa League 2QR Latvia Liepājas Metalurgs 2–2, 5–1
3QR Austria SV Ried 1–2, 3–1
PO Norway Rosenborg 1–1, 1–2
2013–14 UEFA Champions League 2QR Wales The New Saints 3–1, 1–0
3QR Norway Molde 1–1, 0–0 (a)
PO Romania Steaua București 1–1, 2–2 (a)
UEFA Europa League GR Italy Lazio 0–1, 0–2
Turkey Trabzonspor 0–2, 0–2
Cyprus Apollon Limassol 0–1, 2–0
2014–15 UEFA Champions League 2QR Republic of Ireland St Patrick's Athletic 1–1, 5–0
3QR Scotland Celtic 4–1, 2–0 (0–3 w/o, a)
UEFA Europa League PO Kazakhstan Aktobe 1–0, 2–0
GR Ukraine Metalist Kharkiv 1–0, 2–1
Turkey Trabzonspor 1–0, 2–0
Belgium Lokeren 1–0, 0–1
R32 Netherlands Ajax 0–1, 0–3
2015–16 UEFA Europa League 2QR Romania Botoșani 1–0, 3–0
3QR Albania Kukësi (3–0 w/o), 1–0
PO Ukraine Zorya Luhansk 1–0, 3–2
GR Italy Napoli 0–2, 2–5
Belgium Club Brugge 1–1, 0–1
Denmark Midtjylland 0–1, 1–0
2016–17 UEFA Champions League 2QR Bosnia and Herzegovina Zrinjski Mostar 1–1, 2–0
3QR Slovakia AS Trenčín 1–0, 0–0
PO Republic of Ireland Dundalk 2–0, 1–1
GR Spain Real Madrid 1–5, 3–3
Germany Borussia Dortmund 0–6, 4–8
Portugal Sporting CP 0–2,

UEFA Team ranking

As of 26 August 2016[6]

Rank Team Points
76Russia Krasnodar24.866
77Switzerland Young Boys24.395
78Poland Legia Warsaw24.250
79Germany VfB Stuttgart24.028
80Spain Real Sociedad23.928

Best results in European competitions

Season Achievement Notes
European Cup / UEFA Champions League
1970 Semi-Final lost to Netherlands Feyenoord 0–0 in Warsaw, 0–2 in Rotterdam
1971 Quarter-Final lost to Spain Atlético Madrid 0–1 in Madrid, 2–1 in Warsaw
1996 Quarter-Final lost to Greece Panathinaikos 0–0 in Warsaw, 0–3 in Athens
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
1965 Quarter-Final lost to Germany 1860 München 0–4 in Warsaw, 0–0 in Munich
1982 Quarter-Final lost to Soviet Union Dinamo Tbilisi 0–1 in Warsaw, 0–1 in Tbilisi
1991 Semi-Final lost to England Manchester United 1–3 in Warsaw, 1–1 in Manchester

Club records

Most appearances

As of 15 May 2016 the players with the most appearances for Legia are:

# Name Career Appearances
1 Lucjan Brychczy 1954–72 452
2 Jacek Zieliński 1992–05 404
3 Kazimierz Deyna 1966–78 390
4 Jakub Rzeźniczak 2004– 349
5 Marek Jóźwiak 1988–05 348
6 Horst Mahseli 1955–69 347
7 Tomasz Kiełbowicz 2001–12 339
8 Miroslav Radović 2006–15
2016–		 329
9 Bernard Blaut 1962–72 312
10 Janusz Żmijewski 1960–72 300
  • Bold – still active

Top goalscorers

As of 15 May 2016 the ten players with the most goals for Legia are:

# Player Career Goals
1 Lucjan Brychczy 1954–72 227
2 Kazimierz Deyna 1966–78 141
3 Józef Nawrot 1927–36 107
4 Robert Gadocha 1967–75 88
5 Marek Saganowski 2002–2005
2012–2016		 87
6 Janusz Żmijewski 1960–72 80
7 Cezary Kucharski 1995–06 79
8 Miroslav Radović 2006–15
2016–		 77
9 Marcin Mięciel 1994–10 75
Marian Łańko 1925–30 75
  • Bold – still active

Players

Current squad

As of 30 October 2016.[7]

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

No. Position Player
1 Poland GK Arkadiusz Malarz
2 Poland DF Michał Pazdan
3 Poland MF Tomasz Jodłowiec
4 Poland DF Jakub Czerwiński
5 Poland DF Maciej Dąbrowski
6 Brazil MF Guilherme
7 Martinique MF Steeven Langil
8 Belgium MF Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe
9 Georgia (country) MF Valeri Qazaishvili (on loan from Vitesse)
11 Hungary FW Nemanja Nikolić
12 Ghana FW Sadam Sulley
14 Czech Republic DF Adam Hloušek
15 Poland MF Michał Kopczyński
18 Poland MF Michał Kucharczyk
19 Poland DF Bartosz Bereszyński
22 Finland MF Kasper Hämäläinen
No. Position Player
23 Bosnia and Herzegovina MF Stojan Vranješ
25 Poland DF Jakub Rzeźniczak
26 Croatia FW Sandro Kulenović
28 Poland DF Łukasz Broź
30 Poland GK Radosław Majecki
32 Serbia MF Miroslav Radović
33 Poland GK Radosław Cierzniak
45 Poland FW Adam Ryczkowski
51 Poland MF Tomasz Nawotka
52 Poland DF Mateusz Wieteska
53 Poland MF Sebastian Szymański
75 France MF Thibault Moulin
77 Bulgaria MF Mihail Aleksandrov
90 Poland GK Maciej Bąbel
96 Poland GK Dominik Kąkolewski
99 Switzerland FW Aleksandar Prijović

Out on loan

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

No. Position Player
16 Poland MF Michał Masłowski (At Piast Gliwice)
20 Poland FW Jarosław Niezgoda (At Ruch Chorzów)
Poland GK Jakub Szumski (At Zagłębie Sosnowiec)
Poland MF Robert Bartczak (At Zagłębie Sosnowiec)
Poland MF Konrad Handzlik (At Zagłębie Sosnowiec)
No. Position Player
Poland GK Konrad Jałocha (At Arka Gdynia)
Croatia FW Tin Matić (At Zagłębie Sosnowiec)
Republic of Macedonia MF Alban Sulejmani (At Pogoń Siedlce)
Poland MF Mateusz Szwoch (At Arka Gdynia)

Reserve team

Retired numbers

10 – Poland Kazimierz Deyna, Midfielder (1966–78) – Posthumous honour.

Hall of Fame

This is a list of former players and coaches who have been inducted into the Legia Warsaw Hall of Fame.[8]

Coaching staff

Job Name Nationality
Head coach Jacek Magiera Poland
Assistant coach
Goalkeeping coach Grzegorz Szamotulski Poland
Goalkeeping coach Krzysztof Dowhań Poland
Match analyst Gonçalo Feio Portugal
Match analyst Maciej Krzymień Poland
Dietitian Wojciech Zep Poland
Fitness coach
Team Spokesperson Konrad Paśniewski Poland
Team Doctor Jacek Jaroszewski Poland
Team Doctor Maciej Tabiszewski Poland
Physiotherapist Paweł Bamber Poland
Physiotherapist Wojciech Frukacz Poland
Physiotherapist Wojciech Spałek Poland
Reserve Team Coach Krzysztof Dębek Poland
Academy Director Ernest Waś Poland
U-19 Coach Darius Banasik Poland
U-17 Coach Kamil Socha Poland
U-19 and U-17 Goalkeeping coach Marcin Muszyński Poland
Scout Dominik Ebebenge Poland
Scout Tomasz Kiełbowicz Poland
Scout Marcin Żewłakow Poland
Scout Michał Żewłakow Poland
Scout Danijel Ljuboja Serbia

Coaches and managers

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/EuroExperience/competitions/UEFACup/01/67/58/86/1675886_DOWNLOAD.pdf
  2. 1 2 Legia won 1st place in 1992–93 Ekstraklasa, but was accused of corruption. Result of the last match was cancelled and the team dropped into second place in the table. The Polish FA (PZPN) decided to give the championship to Lech Poznań.
    "Poland – List of final tables (RSSSF)". rsssf.com. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
  3. ↑ http://ekstraklasa.wp.pl/kat,32284,title,Oficjalnie-ITI-sprzedalo-Legie,wid,16312159,wiadomosc.html
  4. ↑ "Gazeta Wyborcza" (16 November 2008). "Żyleta – dr Jekyll i mr Hyde". gazeta.pl. Retrieved 2011-08-28.
  5. ↑ "Legia Warsaw official website: Muzeum Legii – Żyleta". Legia.com. Retrieved 2011-08-28.
  6. ↑ UEFA Team Ranking 2017 (http://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert)
  7. ↑ "Legia Warsaw current squad" (in Polish). Legia Warsaw. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  8. ↑ http://legia.com/druzyna/485/224

External links

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