A star right infront of our eyes: Jelen

Not many things are sure things when it comes to Polish football nowadays, however, Irek Jelen’s stardom is as sure as they come. Before his club AJ Auxerre took the field on Saturday against Monaco, Jelen was awarded the French league player of the month for October.  In October, Jelen helped Auxerre win all three Ligue1 matches and scored four of the teams six goals.

Smuda not off to a good start

Stefan Majewski was granted a gift of a lifetime, a two match interview by PZPN. To show the Polish federation that he can be the top man for the national team as coach. Like Leo Beenhakker’s final games, the offense under Majewski was still non-existent. And thus, the world-wide search for his successor began. PZPN interviewed many coaches, both domestic and foreign, and found the best candidate to take over was former Lech Poznan boss Franz Smuda.

Why Romania and Lazienkowska?

International played at a building site

Every football team has its bogey team – an opponent against whom they nearly always play badly. Every football fan knows this and most Polish football fans are aware that one of their biggest bogey teams is – Romania.

Top Spaniard for Polonia?

Although Ruch Chorzow currently occupy second spot in the Ekstraklasa, they are not really regarded as a member of the exclusive ‘Big’ group, yet. The Wisla Krakow v Legia Warszawa clash, or first against third, was the game of round 13, but because of the stadium-rebuilding programme which is affecting all ‘Big 3’ clubs, this was not reflected by the 3,500 gate. The Krakowianie are having to play their home matches in Sosnowiec, 40 miles away. Miroslav Radovic scored the 34^th minute winner for Legia just two minutes after coming on for Sebastian Szalachowski.

Top of table clashes

Last weekend’s most interesting league match was the top of the second division, or Unibet 1 Liga, clash between Gornik Zabrze and Widzew Lodz. The Silesians lost 0-1 to a Piotr Grzelczak goal, in front of 16,000 which many English clubs in the Championship would welcome.