Legia Warsaw
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| Full name | Legia Warszawa SA | ||
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| Nickname(s) |
Wojskowi ("Militarians"), Legioniści ("Legionnaires", "Legionarries") | ||
| Founded | March 1916 as Drużyna Sportowa Legia | ||
| Ground | Polish Army Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 31,103[1] | ||
| Chairman | Bogusław Leśnodorski | ||
| Manager | Stanislav Cherchesov | ||
| League | Ekstraklasa | ||
| 2014–15 | 2nd | ||
| Website | Club home page | ||
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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 ten 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.
The club was founded 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) up 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. First two of them have acquired the club for unpublished sum, which also included paying off debts made by previous ownership. Maciej Wandzel has joined them in September 2014.
History
Before World War II
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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. Up 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
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 European Cup 1969-70 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 FK Vardar in the second qualifying round, Legia lost the third qualifying round to FC 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.
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.
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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
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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 Vetra Vilnius on 10 July 2007.
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. Legia fans have been known to provide excellent atmospheres at matches both domestic and around Europe. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78 | 29 | 20 | 29 |
Achievements
Domestic
- Polish Championship (Ekstraklasa):
- Winners (10): 1955, 1956, 1969, 1970, 1994, 1995, 2002, 2006, 2013, 2014
- 2nd place (12): 1960, 1968, 1971, 1985, 1986, 1993,[2] 1996, 1997, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2015
- 3rd place (13): 1928, 1930, 1931, 1961, 1972, 1980, 1988, 1999, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2012
- Polish Cup:
- Winners (18-record): 1955, 1956, 1964, 1966, 1973, 1980, 1981, 1989, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016
- Finalist (6): 1952, 1969, 1972, 1988, 1991, 2004
- Polish SuperCup:
- Winners (4): 1989, 1994, 1997, 2008
- Finalist (6): 1990, 1995, 2006, 2012, 2014, 2015
- Polish League Cup:
- Winner (1): 2002
- Finalist (2): 2000, 2008
- Youth Teams:
- Polish U-19 Champion: 1969, 2013, 2015
- Polish U-19 Runner Up: 1962
- Polish U-19 Bronze Medal: 1964
- Polish U-17 Runner Up: 2009, 2011
Europe
- UEFA Champions League:
- Semi-final (1): 1970
- Quarter-final (2): 1971, 1996
- UEFA Cup Winners' Cup:
- Semi-final (1): 1991
- Quarter-final (2): 1965, 1982
- UEFA Europa League:
- Round of 32 (2): 2012, 2015
Legia in Europe
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UEFA Team ranking
As of 24 May 2015[6]
| Rank | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 81 |  Ludogorets Razgrad | 25.350 |
| 82 |  Getafe CF | 24.885 |
| 83 |  Legia Warsaw | 24.800 |
| 84 |  Dinamo Zagreb | 24.700 |
| 85 |  Girondins Bordeaux | 24.483 |
Best results in European competitions
| Season | Achievement | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| European Cup / UEFA Champions League | |||
| 1970 | Semi-Final | lost to  Feyenoord 0–0 in Warsaw, 0–2 in Rotterdam | |
| 1971 | Quarter-Final | lost to Atlético Madrid 0–1 in Warsaw, 2–1 in Madrid | |
| 1996 | Quarter-Final | lost to  Panathinaikos 0–0 in Warsaw, 0–3 in Athens | |
| UEFA Cup Winners' Cup | |||
| 1965 | Quarter-Final | lost to  1860 München 0–4 in Warsaw, 0–0 in Munich | |
| 1982 | Quarter-Final | lost to  Dinamo Tbilisi 0–1 in Warsaw, 0–1 in Tbilisi | |
| 1991 | Semi-Final | lost to  Manchester United 1–3 in Warsaw, 1–1 in Manchester | |
Club records
- Number of seasons in Ekstraklasa: 73 (from 1927–36 and from 1948–present)
- First win in the league: May 8, 1927 Turystów Łódź – Legia Warszaw 1–6 (0–5)
- Biggest win in the league: 19 August 1956 Legia Warsaw – Wisła Kraków 12–0 (5–0)
- Biggest defeat in the league: September 3, 1927 Pogoń Lwów – Legia Warsaw 11–2 (6–1)
- Longest series of victories in the league: 9 (in 1931 and 1932 and 2005–06)
- Longest series of defeats in the league: 7 (1936)
- Oldest goalscorer: Lucjan Brychczy – 37 years, 2 months, 31 days
- Youngest goalscorer: Ariel Borysiuk – 16 years, 8 months, 21 days
Most appearancesAs of 30 July 2015 the players with the most appearances for Legia are:
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Top goalscorersAs of 30 July 2015 the ten players with the most goals for Legia are:
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Players
Current squad
- As of 7 March 2016.[7]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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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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Reserve team
Retired numbers
10 – 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]
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Coaching staff
| Job | Name | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Head coach | Stanislav Cherchesov |  |
| Assistant coach | Miroslav Romaschenko |  |
| Assistant coach | Aleksandar Vuković |  |
| Goalkeeping coach | Gintaras Staučė |  |
| Goalkeeping coach | Krzysztof Dowhań | |
| Match analyst | Gonçalo Feio |  |
| Match analyst | Maciej Krzymień | |
| Dietitian | Wojciech Zep | |
| Fitness coach | Wladimir Panikov | |
| Team Spokesperson | Konrad Paśniewski | |
| Team Doctor | Jacek Jaroszewski | |
| Team Doctor | Maciej Tabiszewski | |
| Physiotherapist | Paweł Bamber | |
| Physiotherapist | Wojciech Frukacz | |
| Physiotherapist | Wojciech Spałek | |
| Reserve Team Coach | Krzysztof Dębek | |
| Academy Director | Ernest Waś | |
| U-19 Coach | Darius Banasik | |
| U-17 Coach | Kamil Socha | |
| U-19 and U-17 Goalkeeping coach | Marcin Muszyński | |
| Scout | Dominik Ebebenge | |
| Scout | Tomasz Kiełbowicz | |
| Scout | Marcin Żewłakow | |
| Scout | Michał Żewłakow | |
| Scout | Danijel Ljuboja | |
Coaches and managers
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See also
References
- ↑ http://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/EuroExperience/competitions/UEFACup/01/67/58/86/1675886_DOWNLOAD.pdf
- 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. - ↑ http://ekstraklasa.wp.pl/kat,32284,title,Oficjalnie-ITI-sprzedalo-Legie,wid,16312159,wiadomosc.html
- ↑ "Gazeta Wyborcza" (16 November 2008). "Żyleta – dr Jekyll i mr Hyde". gazeta.pl. Retrieved 2011-08-28.
- ↑ "Legia Warsaw official website: Muzeum Legii – Żyleta". Legia.com. Retrieved 2011-08-28.
- ↑ UEFA Team Ranking 2015 (http://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert)
- ↑ "Legia Warsaw current squad" (in Polish). Legia Warsaw. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
- ↑ http://legia.com/druzyna/485/224
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Legia Warszawa. |
- Official website (Polish) (English)
- Legia Fansite (Polish)
- Legionisci Fansite (Polish)
- Team profile at Naszaliga (Polish)
- Team profile on Polish Football Clubs Database (Polish)
- LEGIA.us – Unofficial forum of Legia Warszawa fans (Polish)
- Legia Warszawa Ultras Group
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