Boniek saves Widzew's bacon

By Maciej Iwanski

It seems strange that only seven years ago, Widzew Lódz were in the UEFA Champions League group stage. Giants in the 1970s and 1980s, the Polish side overcame Denmark's Brøndby IF in the qualifying rounds to earn ties against Club Atlético de Madrid, BV Borussia Dortmund and FC Steaua Bucuresti.

Steady fall
Such days must seem distant for the club's supporters as their team languishes in the second division in Poland after a steady fall from grace since 1996/97. And but for the work of one of their most famous old boys, the club could easily have disappeared completely.

Huge transfer
Back in 1982, Widzew sold striker Zbigniew Boniek to Italian side Juventus FC for US$1.7m - an unheard of figure in the days of communism. It was certainly enough to keep the club at the top of the Polish footballing tree until the fall of the communist government in 1989.

New climate
The new political and economic climate of the early 1990s also proved to be successful for Widzew, with businessmen Andrzej Pawelec, Andrzej Grajewski and Issmat Koussan taking over the club with the promise of success both in Poland and in European competition.

Ambitious club
While Koussan soon stepped down, Pawelec and Grajewski presided over a great period for the club as coach Franciszek Smuda imbued his team with the famous 'Widzew spirit' and also discovered a massive talent in the form of midfield player Marek Citko.

Citko calamity
However, when Widzew failed to progress beyond the group stage in 1996/97, things began to unravel. Citko refused a €7.5m transfer to English side Blackburn Rovers FC which could have balanced out some of the high costs the club had incurred by signing lucrative contracts with players.

Wisla rising
To make matters worse, the midfield player was then injured, spending 18 months on the treatment table while the clubs creditors began to close in around them. With Wisla Kraków now flourishing with the backing of businessman Boguslaw Cupial, it became clear that times were changing.

Humiliating collapse
And for Widzew, they were changing for the worse. Pawelec and Grajewski fought for control while the club began to struggle - a situation which culminated in the club, now in Pawelec's sole command, being relegated last season with €6m of debts and a side made up of amateur players.

Boniek call
For a while, the club had no telephones or hot water and seemed set to be denied a licence to play in the second division until a club representative made a call to Boniek, now a successful businessman himself. "I may help under certain conditions," he said.

Financial restructuring
Pawelec pledged to pay some of Widzew's debts while Boniek helped to change the club's financial footing to secure a new licence. "I spend just one hour of the day on my personal affairs," said Boniek. "The rest is committed to Widzew, and thanks to this the club survives."

New men
Boniek has now brought in former national team assistant coach Stefan Majewski to lead the team along with former FC Porto and Widzew goalkeeper Jozef Mlynarczyk. The squad itself is short on big names, with 30-somethings Radoslaw Michalski and Tomasz Lapinski the most famous among them.

Walking back
That the club have had to fall on the mercy of such old boys may be something of a humiliation. However, with Boniek steadying the ship, Widzew are back on their feet again. Granted, it is not the Champions League, but as Widzew have learned, mere survival is an achievement for many clubs these days.