The 2010–11 Ekstraklasa was the 77th season of the highest level of football leagues in Poland since its establishment in 1927. It began on 6 August 2010 and concluded on 29 May 2011. A total of 16 teams participated, 14 of which competed in the league during the 2009–10 season, while the remaining two were promoted from the I Liga. Each team played a total of 30 matches, half at home and half away.
Wisła Kraków won the title, which marked their 13th title in total.
Wisła Kraków qualified as champions for the 2nd qualifying round of the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League, while Śląsk Wrocław, as the runner-up, entered the 2nd qualifying round of the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League, followed by the fourth placed Jagiellonia Białystok team that earned a place in the 1st qualifying round of the Europa League. Legia Warsaw, the winner of the 2010–11 Polish Cup, also earned a place in European competition by qualifying to the 3rd qualifying round of the Europa League.
The defending champions were Lech Poznań, who won their sixth Polish championship last season.
Teams Promotion and relegation was established by a change, which eliminated relegation play-off games after the 2008–09 season. Thus, the 14th team from the Ekstraklasa and the 3rd team from the Polish First League no longer competed against each other in play-offs. Following the change, promotion and relegation were determined solely by a team's position in the table. As usual, the bottom two teams were directly relegated to the I Liga, while the top two teams were promoted to the Ekstraklasa.
Odra Wodzisław and Piast Gliwice finished in 15th and 16th place, respectively, and were directly relegated to the Polish First League as a result. Odra Wodzisław returned to the second tier after spending 14 years in the top division, their first appearance being in the 1996–97 season. Piast Gliwice spent just two seasons in the Ekstraklasa, after being promoted for the first time for the 2008–09 season, having spent the previous 71 seasons in the lower leagues.
Promotion was won by 2009–10 2nd level champions Widzew Łódź, who returned to the top division after being relegated in the 2007–08 season. 14-time Ekstraklasa champions Górnik Zabrze finished as runners-up in the I Liga and made their comeback to the top tier after being relegated in the 2008–09 season.
Stadiums and locations Since and prior to the selection of Poland as co-host for Euro 2012, numerous clubs were engaged in reconstruction of their stadiums, or building a completely new stadium. Some teams in the beginning of the season played their home matches in other stadiums. For instance Wisła Kraków played their home matches at the Hutnik Kraków stadium, the Stadion Suche Stawy, which held 12,000 spectators. However, the move to the nearly completed 33,000-plus home stadium was in effect mid-season. Legia Warsaw and Lech Poznań played at stadiums which remained under construction but nearing completion. Dialog Arena, the home venue of Zagłębie Lubin was the newest completely finished stadium in the Ekstraklasa these season, being completed just before the start of the season.
Arka Gdynia, and Cracovia started the season playing in their old stadiums. The two clubs moved to their completely finished new stadiums mid season. Jagiellonia Białystok, Lechia Gdańsk, and Śląsk Wrocław played in their old stadiums while their new venues were being constructed. The 40,000 plus PGE Arena Gdańsk became the new home ground for Lechia after its completion in 2011, while Śląsk moved to the new 45,000 plus Stadion Wrocław. The two stadiums were venues for Euro 2012.
TeamLocationVenueCapacity Arka GdyniaGdyniaGOSiR Stadium15,139 CracoviaKrakówMarshal Józef Piłsudski Stadium15,016 GKS BełchatówBełchatówGIEKSA Arena5,238 Górnik ZabrzeZabrzeErnest Pohl Stadium10,000 Jagiellonia BiałystokBiałystokJagiellonia Stadium6,000 (upgrading to 22,500) Korona KielceKielceArena Kielce15,550 Lech PoznańPoznańLech Stadium43,000 Lechia GdańskGdańskLechia Stadium11,811 (upgrading to 40,818) Legia WarsawWarsawPolish Army Stadium31,800 Polonia BytomBytomEdward Szymkowiak Stadium6,000 Polonia WarsawWarsawPolonia Stadium7,150 Ruch ChorzówChorzówRuch Stadium10,000 Śląsk WrocławWrocławOporowska Stadium8,346 (upgrading to 42,720) Widzew ŁódźŁódźStadion Widzewa10,500 Wisła KrakówKrakówHenryk Reyman Stadium24,000 (upgrading to 33,680) Zagłębie LubinLubinDialog Arena16,300
Sponsoring and personnel ClubManager2009–10 SeasonKit sponsorMain sponsorArka Gdynia František Straka14thJakoPolnordCracovia Yuriy Shatalov12th Jako ComarchGKS Bełchatów Maciej Bartoszek5thAdidasPolska Grupa EnergetycznaGórnik Zabrze Adam NawałkaPromoted Erima AllianzJagiellonia Białystok Michał Probierz11thJomaBiałystok CityKorona Kielce Włodzimierz Gąsior6thHummelFormasterLech Poznań José Mari BakeroChampions Puma s.OliverLechia Gdańsk Tomasz Kafarski8th Adidas LOTOSLegia Warsaw Maciej Skorża4th Adidas nPolonia Bytom Dariusz Fornalak7thHummelEcco HolidayPolonia Warsaw Jacek Zieliński13thHummelJ.W. ConstructionRuch Chorzów Waldemar Fornalik3rdLottoTauron Poland EnergyŚląsk Wrocław Orest Lenczyk9th Puma PiastWidzew Łódź Czesław MichniewiczPromoted Vigo HarnaśWisła Kraków Robert Maaskant2ndAdidasTele-Fonika KableZagłębie Lubin Jan Urban10th Nike KGHM Polska Miedź
Puma continues as Ekstraklasa's official match ball suppliers through the 2010–11 season. All matches are played with the PUMA PowerCat 1.10 ultra balls, which is a special model created just for the Ekstraklasa. Ekstraklasa.org
The official presentation of the new ball for Ekstraklasa was prepared together with PUMA Poland in the beginning of August 2010 – just before the start of season. The case of prolonging the use of the match ball for the next two seasons was made official on 3 August 2010. Sports.pl The new model will be used through the 2011–12 season as it is regarded at the highest quality .
Managerial changes
Club Outgoing Manager Date of vacancy Manner of departure Incoming Manager Date of appointmentGKS Bełchatów Rafał Ulatowski21 May 2010End of Contract Maciej Bartoszek2 June 2010Cracovia Orest Lenczyk24 May 2010Sacked Rafał Ulatowski28 May 2010Legia Warsaw Stefan Białas25 May 2010Sacked Maciej Skorża1 June 2010Widzew Łódź Paweł Janas21 June 2010Resigned Andrzej Kretek25 June 2010Wisła Kraków Henryk Kasperczak6 August 2010Sacked Tomasz Kulawik (temporary)6 August 2010Wisła Kraków Tomasz Kulawik21 August 2010Temporary Manager Robert Maaskant21 August 2010Polonia Warsaw José Mari Bakero13 September 2010Sacked Paweł Janas13 September 2010Śląsk Wrocław Ryszard Tarasiewicz22 September 2010Sacked Paweł Barylski (temporary)22 September 2010Śląsk Wrocław Paweł Barylski27 September 2010Temporary Manager Orest Lenczyk27 September 2010Cracovia Rafał Ulatowski24 October 2010Resigned Marcin Sadko (temporary)27 October 2010Polonia Bytom Yuriy Shatalov28 October 2010Resigned Jan Urban29 October 2010Cracovia Marcin Sadko31 October 2010Temporary Manager Yuriy Shatalov31 October 2010Lech Poznań Jacek Zieliński2 November 2010Sacked José Mari Bakero3 November 2010Widzew Łódź Andrzej Kretek15 November 2010Sacked Czesław Michniewicz15 November 2010Polonia Bytom Jan Urban10 December 2010Resigned Robert Góralczyk13 December 2010Polonia Warsaw Paweł Janas28 December 2010Sacked Theo Bos6 January 2011Zagłębie Lubin Marek Bajor7 March 2011Sacked Jan Urban10 March 2011Polonia Warsaw Theo Bos13 March 2011Sacked Piotr Stokowiec 14 March 2011Arka Gdynia Dariusz Pasieka23 March 2011Sacked František Straka23 March 2011Polonia Warsaw Piotr Stokowiec24 March 2011Temporary Manager Jacek Zieliński24 March 2011Korona Kielce Marcin Sasal12 May 2011Sacked Włodzimierz Gąsior (temporary)12 May 2011Polonia Bytom Robert Góralczyk24 May 2011Sacked Dariusz Fornalak24 May 2011
League table
Results
Player statistics
Top goalscorers RankPlayerClubGoals1 Tomasz FrankowskiJagiellonia Białystok142 Andrzej NiedzielanKorona Kielce12 Abdou TraoréLechia Gdańsk124 Artjoms RudņevsLech Poznań115 Darvydas ŠernasWidzew Łódź10 Miroslav RadovićLegia Warsaw107 Artur SobiechPolonia Warsaw9 Andraž KirmWisła Kraków99 Przemysław KaźmierczakŚląsk Wrocław8 Dawid NowakGKS Bełchatów8 Tadas LabukasArka Gdynia8 Piotr GrzelczakWidzew Łódź8 Maciej JankowskiRuch Chorzów8 Cristián DíazŚląsk Wrocław8
Top assistants RankPlayerClubAssists1 Sebastian MilaŚląsk Wrocław102 Edi AndradinaKorona Kielce9 Dudu ParaíbaWidzew Łódź94 Artur SobiechPolonia Warsaw8 Mateusz KlichCracovia86 Miroslav RadovićLegia Warsaw7 Andraž KirmWisła Kraków7 Patryk MałeckiWisła Kraków7 Tomasz KupiszJagiellonia Białystok7 Maciej MałkowskiGKS Bełchatów7
Awards Monthly awards
Player of the Month MonthPlayerClubAugust 2010 Andrzej NiedzielanKorona KielceSeptember 2010 Andrzej NiedzielanKorona KielceOctober 2010 Tomasz FrankowskiJagiellonia BiałystokNovember 2010 Mateusz BartczakZagłębie LubinMarch 2011 Przemysław KaźmierczakŚląsk WrocławApril 2011 Marián KelemenŚląsk WrocławMay 2011 Piotr GrzelczakWidzew Łódź
Coach of the Month MonthCoachClubMarch 2011 Orest LenczykŚląsk WrocławApril 2011 Waldemar FornalikRuch ChorzówMay 2011 Czesław MichniewiczWidzew Łódź
Annual awards AwardPlayerClubPlayer of the Season Adrian MierzejewskiPolonia WarsawCoach of the Season Orest LenczykŚląsk WrocławDiscovery of the Season Maor MeliksonWisła KrakówFair Play AwardLechia Gdańsk
Attendances
No. Club Average Highest 1 Lech Poznań 18,635 36,240 2 Legia Warszawa 17,139 22,894 3 Wisła Kraków 15,394 24,000 4 Korona Kielce 8,713 14,479 5 Górnik Zabrze 8,700 12,500 6 Cracovia 8,521 14,300 7 Widzew Łódź 8,041 9,600 8 Śląsk Wrocław 7,563 8,500 9 Zagłębie Lubin 7,403 12,155 10 Lechia Gdańsk 7,254 11,811 11 Ruch Chorzów 5,844 9,800 12 Arka Gdynia 5,727 10,500 13 Jagiellonia Białystok 5,651 6,000 14 Polonia Warszawa 4,667 6,000 15 Polonia Bytom 3,617 6,000 16 Bełchatów 3,069 5,300Source:
See also 2010–11 Polish Cup 2010–11 I Liga
References
External links Official site