After a long four-year wait, Wisla Krakow’s Ekstraklasa promotion has been sealed as the White Star returns to the top flight of Polish football.
As one of the most successful clubs in Poland during the 2000s, Wisla’s relegation to the I Liga came as a shock to many and became the club’s darkest time in their 120-year history.
Between 2022 and 2026, the White Star experienced a turbulent period in terms of management staff and the club’s hierarchy, as changes were needed to get them back up to the top.
From five different managers to winning the Polish Cup and qualifying for European football, Wisla Krakow have experienced some crazy things in the last four years, but with their return to the Ekstraklasa now confirmed, are the White Stars about to return to being a Polish powerhouse?
Wisla Krakow’s Ekstraklasa Promotion: The White Stars’ Relegation And Rebuild
Four years in the making, Wisla Krakow has endured some dark times as a football club, and with promotion now confirmed, the White Stars are back in the big time.
Under manager Adrián Guľa, Wisla’s 2021/22 season in the Ekstraklasa was a disaster, as the Czechoslovakian head coach was sacked after only six months and six wins from 21 league games.
Poland’s former national team manager Jerzy Brzęczek took charge of the club, but only one win from their remaining games could not save them from relegation to the I Liga.
After failing to get the White Stars firing on all cylinders, Brzęczek was sacked in October 2022, and ex-Wisla midfielder Radosław Sobolewski was given the managerial reins.
The side from Krakow managed to finish in the I Liga Play-Off places, after missing out on automatic promotion by two points. Battered by Puszcza Niepołomice 4-1 in the Play-off semi-final, Wisla were doomed to yet another season in the second-tier of Polish football.
The one good thing that happened in the 2022/23 season was the signing of Angel Rodado. The striker, now seen as a club legend at the club, has been at the forefront of Wisla’s revival.
Wisla Krakow’s Ekstraklasa Promotion: A Polish Cup Win To Overshadow A Poor League Season
What unfolded in the next season was a huge cup success, which masked the league failures as Wisla were once again chopping and changing in the managerial hot seat.
Sobolewski was given his marching orders in December 2023, and his former teammate, Mariusz Jop, took over on an interim basis until a new permanent manager was appointed.
Just before the turn of the New Year, Spaniard Albert Rudé became the new head coach of Wisla Krakow, as he was the next manager tasked to lead the White Stars back into the Ekstraklasa.
Ultimately, he failed in doing so as the club finished 10th in the I Liga; however, they managed to win the Polish Cup, and in doing so, qualified for the UEFA Europa League first qualifying round.
Even after winning the Polish Cup, Rudé was relieved of his duties at the end of the season, and the White Stars were left looking for yet another manager.
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Wisla Krakow’s Ekstraklasa Promotion: Turning To Old Managers For Success
Former player and manager Kazimierz Moskal took charge of the club in June 2024, as the club’s hierarchy looked to finally end their I Liga stay and gain promotion back into the Ekstraklasa.
Before the league battle, the UEFA Europa League qualifying awaited the White Stars, as they cruised through the first round by beating Kosovan side Llapi 4-1 on aggregate before being dumped out of the competition by Rapid Wien, with the Austrian side smashing Wisla 8-2 on aggregate.
Next, it was qualifying for the UEFA Conference League. Their first game saw them take on Slovakian side Spartak Trnava, and after the two legs, the two sides were level at 4-4, which saw a penalty shootout needed to get the winner. The White Stars ran out 12-11 winners and were one step away from qualifying for the competition.
Belgian side Cercle Brugge was the final team between Wisla and the UEFA Conference League. However, after an embarrassing 6-1 defeat at home, Wisla’s chances disappeared. They managed to win 4-1 in the second leg, but that was not enough as their European adventure came to an end.
Not long after Moskal was sacked and Jop was put in charge, on a caretaker basis to begin with, but was appointed permanently at the end of 2024, after an impressive run of form.
That form saw Wisla sneak into the Play-Offs once more, but as once was the case, they failed to make it past the semi-final and were doomed for another season in the I Liga.
Wisla Krakow’s Ekstraklasa Promotion: Jop Gets The Job Done As Wisla Return To The Top Flight
After almost 600 days in charge of the White Stars, Jop has delivered Wisla Krakow’s Ekstraklasa promotion, with the club finally back amongst the Polish elite.
Their recent 2:0 over Chrobrym Głogów guaranteed Wisla Krakow’s Ekstraklasa promotion, and with an eight-point gap over Śląsk Wrocław, they are more or less guaranteed to be crowned as I Liga Champions.
The White Stars have been league leaders since matchday one and haven’t relinquished their title as league leaders at any point throughout the season.
Their return to the Ekstraklasa will see them going for it from the get-go, as the club president Jarosław Królewski has already stated that they are aiming for a transfer budget of around 55 to 70 million.
With the White Stars back in the Ekstraklasa after a long four-year absence, can they hit the ground running and fight near the top, or will it be steady progress for Wisla season by season?
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Newspix
Recording Date: 08.05.2026
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