Polish challengers beat the freeze

By Maciej Iwanski

The Polish Ekstraklasa is back this weekend courtesy of undersoil heating and with a sponsor for the first time.

Top three ready
Wisla Kraków, Legia Warszawa and Groclin Grodzisk Wielkopolski, who occupy the top three positions, are the teams with heating at their ground and they will be getting the action under way this weekend.

Wisla lead
Legia, eight points behind unbeaten Wisla in second, are first to kick off as they welcome MKS Pogon Szczecin on Friday night. The following day, Wisla, whose trip to GKS Górnik Leczna is off, instead have a home game against bottom club GKS Katowice, while Groclin, ten points adrift of Wisla, play KSP Polonia Warszawa on Sunday. No other fixture has survived the freeze.

Player movements
However, the First Division will be missing many of the players that starred before Christmas. Wisla have seen Damian Gorawski join FC Moskva and playmaker Miroslaw Szymkowiak go to Trabzonspor of Turkey, although Polish international striker Maciej Zurawski turned down offers from Trabzonspor and Levante UD. The champions are also beginning life under new coach Werner Licka.

Legia signings
Meanwhile, defender Ivica Križanac and forward Sebastian Mila have left Groclin for FC Zenit St. Peterburg and FK Austria Wien respectively. However, Legia have picked up Aleksandar Vukovic after an unsuccessful spell at Ergotelis FC of Greece and Czech Jarda Simr has switched to fourth-placed Amica Sport from NEC Nijmegen. In all, 19 foreigners are among the 67 new signings in the transfer window.

European challenge
Despite the changes, Wisla are expected to resist the challenges of Legia, Groclin and Amica, with Zaglebie Lubin and KS Cracovia hoping to creep into the European places. On the other hand, financially-troubled Katowice are favourites to fill the one relegation spot, with the league expanding from 14 to 16 teams this summer.

New sponsor
There was good news for all these sides last month with mobile phone company IDEA agreeing to become the top flight's first sponsor in a three-and-a-half year deal. Also signed is a deal for a new weekly programme of highlights on terrestrial television after five years of exclusive coverage on pay channel Canal+. Ekstraklasa clubs will also take over the running of the league, excepting the appointment of referees, from the Polish Football Federation in May.