Polish Ekstraklasa

Ekstraklasa is the top professional football league in Poland. It was founded in 1927 and is one of the oldest continuously running leagues in Central Europe. The competition has evolved through several political eras — interwar Poland, communist Poland, and modern democratic Poland.

History and facts

Football gained popularity in Poland in the 1910s and 1920s, especially in Kraków and Lwów. In 1927, the **Polish Football Association (PZPN)** organized the first national league season.

The league historically featured strong local rivalries such as **Wisła vs. Cracovia** — known as the Kraków Derby, one of the oldest derbies in Europe.

Since 2013, the league has included **16 teams**, with a modern format featuring 30 regular-season rounds followed by championship and relegation groups (later simplified).

League system

Ekstraklasa sits at the top of the Polish football pyramid. Relegation connects it with the second tier — the **I liga**.

Table 1. Polish football tiers

League	Tier
Ekstraklasa	1
I liga	2
II liga	3
III liga (regional groups)	4

Below tier 4, football continues in Poland’s regional leagues.

Stats

Teams with most titles

These clubs have been the most successful in Ekstraklasa history:

Table 2. Ekstraklasa champions

Club	Titles
Legia Warsaw	15+
Wisła Kraków	14
Ruch Chorzów	14
Górnik Zabrze	14
Lech Poznań	8
Widzew Łódź	4

Legia Warsaw has been the dominant club of the modern era.

Teams with most league participation

These clubs have played the most seasons in the Polish top division:

Table 3. Clubs with most seasons

Club	Seasons
Ruch Chorzów	80+
Górnik Zabrze	65+
Legia Warsaw	65+
Wisła Kraków	60+
Lech Poznań	50+

These historic clubs shaped the league for nearly a century.

Audience

Stadium capacities

Table 4. Major stadiums in Ekstraklasa

Team	Stadium	Capacity
Śląsk Wrocław	Stadion Wrocław	45,105
Lech Poznań	Stadion Miejski	43,269
Legia Warsaw	Polish Army Stadium	31,103
Wisła Kraków	Stadion Miejski	33,326
Górnik Zabrze	Arena Zabrze	24,500

Players

Top goalscorers

The Ekstraklasa all-time top scorer is Ernest Pohl, who scored over 186 goals. Other legendary scorers include:

• Lucjan Brychczy
• Teodor Peterek
• Włodzimierz Lubański
• Pawel Brożek
• Robert Lewandowski (started his senior career in Poland)

Ekstraklasa timeline

1911 First organized football championships in Poland.

1927 Ekstraklasa is officially founded.

1939 League suspended due to WWII.

1948 League resumes under communist Poland.

1995 Transition to modern professional league structure.

2013 Playoff system introduced.

2020 COVID-19 disrupts the season but league continues.

References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekstraklasa
https://www.ekstraklasa.org
https://www.rsssf.org