Raków Częstochowa
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| Full name | Robotniczy Klub Sportowy Raków Częstochowa SA | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1921 | |||
| Ground | Miejski Stadion Piłkarski Raków | |||
| Capacity | 5,500 | |||
| Chairman | Piotr Obidziński | |||
| Manager | Łukasz Tomczyk | |||
| League | Ekstraklasa | |||
| 2025-26 | 4th of 18 | |||
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Raków Częstochowa is a football and sports club from the Raków district of the Polish city of Częstochowa. Since the 2019/20 season, Raków Częstochowa has competed in the Ekstraklasa, the highest Polish league. In the 2022/23 season, the team won its first championship. The traditional team colors are red and blue.
History
The sports club was founded in 1921 under the name Racovia. In the 1990s, Raków played four years in the Ekstraklasa, Poland's top football league. The best finish was eighth place in the 1995/96 season. The club was relegated in 1998, followed by several years in lower leagues. In 2014, Michał Świerczewski, an entrepreneur who grew up in Częstochowa, took over the then third-division club. His intention was leading the club back to the top flight. [1] In the 2014/2015 season, the club missed the promotion to the 1. Liga (second Polish league ). In 2016, owner Świerczewski appointed Marek Papszun as head coach. In the 2016/17 season, after many years in lower leagues, they returned to the 1. Liga [2] Two years later, Raków secured promotion to the Ekstraklasa four matchdays before the end of the season.[3]
In the 2020/21 season, Raków achieved its greatest club success so far by winning the Polish Football Cup. In the league the club reached its best ranking in its history in the year of its 100th anniversary. They finished second in the Ekstraklasa. In the 2022/23 season, Raków reached another milestone. They became Polish champion on matchday 31, three matchdays before the end of the season. This was the first championship in the clubs history.
Honours
- Polish Champion: 2023
- Runner-up: 2021, 2022, 2025
- Polish Cup: 2021,2022
- Runner-up: 1967, 2023
- Polish Supercup: 2021, 2022
- Runner-up: 2023
Name changes
- 1921–1927: Klub Sportowo-Footballowy Racovia
- 1927–2002: RKS Raków Częstochowa
- 2002 – 2011: KS Raków Częstochowa
- since 2011: RKS Raków Częstochowa SA
European competition history
| Competition | Round | Opponent | 1st leg | 2nd leg | Agg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 UEFA Conference League | 2nd qualifying round | Sūduva Marijampolė  |
0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 (4-3 pen.) |
| 3rd qualifying round | Rubin Kazan  |
0-0 | 1-0 a.e.t. | 1-0 | |
| Play-offs | KAA Gent |
1-0 | 0-3 | 1-3 | |
| 2022-23 UEFA Conference League | 2nd qualifying round | FK Astana |
5-0 | 1-0 | 6-0 |
| 3rd qualifying round | Spartak Trnava  |
2-0 | 1-0 | 3-0 | |
| Play-offs | Slavia Prague  |
2-1 | 0-2 a.e.t. | 2-3 | |
| 2023–24 UEFA Champions League | 1st qualifying round | FC Flora Tallinn  |
1-0 | 3-0 | 4-0 |
| 2nd qualifying round | Qarabağ Agdam |
3-2 | 1-1 | 4-3 | |
| 3rd qualifying round | Aris Limassol |
2-1 | 1-0 | 3-1 | |
| Play-offs | FC Copenhagen |
0-1 | 1-1 | 1-2 | |
| 2023–24 UEFA Europa League | Group stage | Atalanta Bergamo |
0-2 | 0-4 | 0-6 |
| Group stage | SK Sturm Graz |
0-1 | 1-0 | 1-1 | |
| Group stage | Sporting Lisbon.svg.png){kind=small} |
1-1 | 1-2 | 2-3 | |
| 2025–26 UEFA Conference League | 2nd qualifing round | MŠK Žilina |
3-0 | 3-1 | 6-1 |
| 3rd qualifing round | Maccabi Haifa  |
3-0 | 3-1 | 6-1 | |
| Play-offs | Arda Kardschali  |
1-0 | 2-1 | 3-1 | |
| League phase | CS Universitatea Craiova  |
2-0 | Away | ||
| League phase | SK Sigma Olomouc |
1-1 | Home | ||
| League phase | Sparta Prague |
0-0 | Away | ||
| League phase | SK Rapid Wien |
4-1 | Home | ||
| League phase | HŠK Zrinjski Mostar |
1-0 | Away | ||
| League phase | Omonia Nicosia |
1-0 | Home | ||
| Round of 16 | AC Fiorentina |
1-2 | 1-2 | 2-4 |
Famous players
- Jakub Błaszczykowski
- Jerzy Brzęczek
- Adam Fedoruk
- Maciej Gajos
- Shingayi Kaondera
- Tomasz Kiełbowicz
- Jacek Krzynówek
- Hubert Pala
- Paweł Skrzypek
- Mateusz Zachara
- Kamil Piątkowski
