Women's football in Poland

The women's football in Poland continuously developed since the mid-1970s and takes in terms of distribution, popularity and international success a midfield place within the European nations.

history

As early as the first decades of the 20th century, Polish women sporadically organized themselves into teams and carried out isolated competitions and smaller tournaments. In September 1921, the first official women's football division in Poland was established in the Unja Poznań Sports Club . However, their traces have so far fizzled out; It can be assumed that the ban on women's football in England by the Football Association of December 5, 1921 also had an impact on the social attitude towards women's football in Poland and that the team was disbanded only a few months after its formation.

The successful performance of Poland's men's selection at the 1974 World Cup ( 3rd place ) sparked a new wave of enthusiasm for football among Polish women. Just a few weeks later, Irena Półtorak founded the first women's football department in the KKS Czarni Sosnowiec club in the Upper Silesian coal region . Further foundations followed at short intervals, including a. in Gdynia ( TKKF Checz ), Jaworzno and Warsaw . In the late summer of 1979, the first regular women's soccer league started playing.

League operation and Polish championship

→ Main article: Polish Women's Football Championship

The Polish Women's Football Championship has been officially held since the 1979/80 season. The record champions are the team of KKS Czarni Sosnowiec (12 titles between 1980 and 2000), followed by KS AZS Wrocław (8 titles in a row between 2001 and 2008). The current champion is RTP Unia Racibórz .

From 2005 to 2010 there were three divisions: Ekstraliga, 1st division and 2nd division. The Ekstraliga and the two seasons of the 1st league consisted of 6 teams each during this period, each playing two home and two away games per season.

The development of interest in active football among Polish women and girls may be illustrated by the number of teams entered in the 2nd division:

2001/02: 15 (3 seasons)
2002/03: 28 (5)
2003/04: 32 (5)
2004/05: 43 (6)
2005/06: 43 (8)
2006/07: 55 (8)
2007/08: 57 (8)
2008/09: 60 (8)
2009/10: 67 (9)

Furthermore, a futsal league was introduced in 2007 (since 2009 in 2 seasons), in 2008 a Lesser Poland league for B and C juniors and in 2009 a Lesser Poland league for D juniors .

In 2010 there was a new division, and since then the game has been in 4 divisions: Ekstraliga (1 relay with 10 teams), 1st league (2 of 10 teams), 2nd league (4 seasons with 8-10 teams each), 3rd league (9 seasons with 4 to 8 each). The total number of teams taking part in the official games for senior women in the current 2010/11 season is 112.

Polish Cup

→ Main article: Polish Women's Football Cup

The Polish Women's Cup has been awarded since 1985. The competition mode is the knockout system . Previous cup winners are:

Participation in the UEFA Cup and Champions League

Since the introduction of the UEFA Cup in the 2001/02 season, a Polish team has taken part in this only European club competition for women every year. This was a total of 7 times champion KS AZS Wrocław and once as a substitute for UKS Gol Częstochowa ( 2007/08 ). Wrocław was able to reach the second group stage twice as the winner of a mini-tournament ( 2004/05 and 2005/06 ).

After the UEFA Cup was renamed the UEFA Women's Champions League in 2009 and the mode underwent some changes (since then the Polish champions no longer have to play a mini-tournament, but only intervene in the round of 32), the newly crowned champions RTP were allowed to play in autumn 2009 Unia Racibórz take part in the premier edition of the tournament, but failed in the first duel against the Austrian champions SV Neulengbach .

National team

→ Main article: Polish women's national football team

The Polish senior national team played their first game on June 27, 1981 against Italy in Catania (0: 3), their first international match on their own soil on July 12, 1984 in Piotrków Trybunalski against the selection of the then ČSSR (1: 4) ). So far she has not been able to qualify for any major international tournament ( European Championship , World Championship or Olympic Games ).

In the FIFA world rankings for women, the Polish national team is currently 30th - 18th in Europe (as of November 2010).

Well-known players in German-speaking countries

Dagmara Grad (played in the 2nd Bundesliga for BV Cloppenburg )
Marlene Kowalik (played in the Bundesliga for FCR 2001 Duisburg and for SGS Essen )
Maria Makowska (played in the Bundesliga for 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam )
Agata Mańczyńska (played in the 2nd Bundesliga for SV Meppen )
Ewa Pajor (plays in the Bundesliga for VfL Wolfsburg )
Patrycja Pożerska (played in the Bundesliga for MSV Duisburg )
Marta Sega (played in the 2nd Bundesliga for SV Meppen )
Marta Stobba (played in the Bundesliga for BV Cloppenburg )
Agata Tarczyńska (played in the Bundesliga for 1. FC Saarbrücken and MSV Duisburg )
Agnieszka Winczo (played in the Bundesliga for BV Cloppenburg )
Dominika Wylężek (played in the Bundesliga for BV Cloppenburg )
Ewa Żyła (played in the 2nd Bundesliga for SV Meppen )