Poland’s Ekstraklasa restarts amid booming interest and tight title race

Poland’s top flight, the Ekstraklasa, restarts on Friday evening with Zaglebie Lubin facing GKS Katowice and, two days later, surprise leaders Wisla Plock play Rakow Czestochowa in conditions that could reach -12C after almost two months off. The league is described as being in its best shape for at least 30 years, benefiting from a booming economy, rising attendances and upgraded infrastructure catalysed by co-hosting Euro 2012.

"All the ingredients are there," says Olivier Jarosz of consultancy LTT Sports. The title race is unusually tight: the gap between first and eighth is only four points, and even bottom club Bruk-Bet Termalica Nieciecza are just 11 points from the summit. Legia Warsaw sit 17th, but owner Dariusz Mioduski says "it’s very competitive" and that the league has the potential to "crack the top 10 in the next couple of years and stay there." Poland sit 12th in UEFA’s coefficient rankings, up from 21st two years ago, and the Conference League has helped provide more European opportunities.

Last season Legia and Jagiellonia Bialystok reached the quarter-finals; this season Jagiellonia, Rakow and Lech Poznan will play knockout football.

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