Aug 2, 2022 |
News
On Thursday, Trnava's Polish team Rakow Czestochowa will come to compete with Spartak in the fight for promotion to the playoffs of the European Conference League. It is not a club with a famous history and a famous name like Legia Warsaw, Lech Poznań or Wisla Kraków, but it is definitely probably the most progressive Polish club today. Polish fans have already bought out their sector at the Anton Malatinský Stadium (capacity allowed) to help their team advance. Let's believe that the Trnava fans also care about their team as much and will not let themselves be embarrassed in their stadium.
The team from the famous pilgrim town played only in the third league five years ago. But then there was a rapid rise. In the 2nd league, Rakow stayed only two seasons and headed to the elite, where he completed his third season this year. The Czestochowa players took 10th place in the first familiarization match, but in the other two they always finished right behind the champion - first behind Legia and this year behind Lech. In both seasons, however, they won the domestic cup and in the subsequent super cup they always beat the champion, although Legia only on penalties.
So, Rakow is undoubtedly experiencing its most successful period since its creation in 1921 and does not want to stop. Last year, for the first time in history, he played in one of the European cups. In the first preliminary round, he eliminated the Lithuanian Suduva, in the second, also the Russian Rubin Kazan, and only in the third did the Belgian Gent stop him. In the home match, he was able to defeat him 1:0, but in the return match he lost 0:3 and was eliminated.
The Poles would like to break through in Europe this season, but Spartak from Trnava stood in their way, who also want to overcome last year's 3rd preliminary round.
Rakow's coach is Marek Papszun. The goalkeeper unit is Bosniak Vladan Kovačević. The biggest star of the team is the Spanish offensive midfielder Ivi Lopéz, who arrived two years ago from Levante. Last year he scored 20 goals, the second best scorer was Latvian Vladislavs Gutkovskis with nine goals. The team captain is Andrzej Niewulis. The team also includes the well-known Serbian defender Milan Rundič, who at one time worked in Slovan Bratislava. The estimated value of the staff is more than 30 million euros.
Rakow is on a good run this season as well, winning all the matches. He passed over seeded Kazakh Astana with scores of 5:0 (Lopez, Wdowjak, Gutkovskis, Kochergin, Tudor) and 1:0 (Kochergin). In the league, he beat Warta 1:0 (Gutkovskis) and this weekend Mielec 3:2 (Sorescu, Piasecki, Lepéz).
Czestochowa plays its home matches at the Municipal Football Stadium with a capacity of 5,500 spectators. Last year they had to play their matches in the Conference League in Bialsko-Biała, but this season they can play at their home stadium.
