Krakow rivals' joint celebration

The rivalry between Wisła Kraków and their neighbours MKS Cracovia SSA will be fierce this year as Poland's oldest clubs celebrate their centenaries in 2006.

'Showcase clubs'
The city of Krakow is renowned as the birthplace of Polish football, with Wisła and Cracovia winning 15 titles between them. Polish Football Federation president Michał Listkiewicz told uefa.com: "They are legendary clubs. Every country has their showcase clubs and Wisła and Cracovia are among Poland's." While some Wisła fans would argue otherwise, Cracovia are generally regarded as the oldest club in Poland. "Our most famous supporter was Pope John Paul II," Cracovia president Professor Janusz Filipiak proudly revealed.

Golden age
Cracovia's golden age came in the 1930s, as they added three more titles to the one they picked up in the league's maiden season in 1921. However, their fifth crown, won in 1948, has proved to be their last to date. It took Wisła until 1977/78 to reach that mark, but they have since come into their own. As club president Ludwik Miętta-Mikołajewicz said: "Our club have won ten Polish titles and four Polish Cups, including the first edition of the tournament in 1926. Wisła's golden era began in 1998 when the club went into public ownership and we have won five league titles since then."

Modern giants
Wisła are certainly the giants of the modern Polish game, as they proved when they reached the last 16 of the UEFA Cup in 2002/03. Their centenary celebrations will be suitably grand, with Miętta-Mikołajewicz planning a gala match against "a top European club" for some time in August. Cracovia, meanwhile, are looking to mark their centenary in a manner more appropriate to their current status. Rising to the Ekstraklasa following two promotions in quick succession after the arrival of Professor Filipiak and a new sponsor in 2003, they are committed to youth development.

Cracovia refounded
"Our anniversary celebration are under the banner 'Youth, Sport, Education'," said Filipiak, whose administration has rebuilt the club almost from scratch since taking charge. He also has big plans for the future involving floating on the stock exchange and encouraging homegrown talent. With 200 youngsters currently training with the Cracovia youth teams, Professor Filipiak recently offered coach Wojciech Stawowy an astonishing ten-year contract extentsion. He said: "We want to become the Polish AFC Ajax and his task is to integrate as many of our youngsters as possible into the first team."

Instant results
Currently lying in seventh place in the Ekstraklasa, Cracovia are hoping that policy will pay off in the long run, but Wisła have more immediate goals. "Our main target is to win the title again and try to qualify for the UEFA Champions League," said Miętta-Mikołajewicz. The side recently appointed former Romania international Dan Petrescu as their new coach and are hoping that he can lead them to a centennial success this term. "It is too early to judge him as Wisła coach but the first impressions are very positive," said Miętta-Mikołajewicz.

Derby atmosphere
With the two clubs now in a healthy state but following different footballing paths, the remaining Krakow derby of 2006 promise to be extra tense. "Beating Wisła is the most important thing for our supporters," said Filipiak. After 100 years of rivalry, little has changed in that sense.