Lech, the best managed club in Poland

Second championship in a row. The announcement of a 3rd fight. Can we yet get a league model like the best ones, where respective teams give a tone, and a championship for individual "outside the circle" is an issue?

A brief look at the best leagues in Europe – England: ManU, ManC, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham (now not?), Liverpool; Italy: Inter, Juve, Milan, Napoli, sometimes Lazio or Roma. In others a somewhat smaller choice. Germany is Borussia and Bayern, trying to beat RasenballSport, in Spain Barca and Real, and in France for respective years PSG unrivalled. In any case, individual is always a favourite and before the period you can plan more.

In Poland it has been said for years that specified a model would be the best. Back in the days of Cupia in Wisla. Back then, it was next to the White Star about the Legion or Lech. Now it has come to a well-packed Cancer and besides well managed Jagiellonia. There was a minute where Pogoń was in the lead all year. However, it seems that for the teams from Białystok and Szczecin it was just a "good moment". Fatal management of the club led to declines of clubs with large potential, which are inactive Lechia Gdańsk or Śląsk Wrocław. Financially, there is besides a chance that Widzew Łódź and Motor Lublin will take the lead, but especially in the second case it may only be the whim of a billionaire. Well, no. For today, there is no promise that specified an English or Italian model will be born to us. More like the French one.

Lech Poznań is not Polish PSG, it is not managed by Qatari multibillionaires. On the contrary. Lech's finances are solid, but that's due to the fact that he's well managed. Whenever Lech sells his protruding players, there is criticism from their supporters at the board that he does not invest in footballers capable of replacing 1-1 of those sold. It's just a precaution. Cheap, in Greater Poland. Yet – as confirmed by the last 2 seasons – this model makes sense.

What's the alternative? Is Lech expected to pay contracts like in the West and keep them strong at the club? Blow up the wage budget so that there's no another investment left? Or insist that they complete their contracts and give them distant for free? In Poznań they know their place in a line and know that they will not be more attractive than Bayer Leverkusen, Aston Villa or there even Bologna. They so optimise finances through a consistently implemented model of a gentlemen's agreement (except for paper) with footballers.

Second, it's not like large money's gonna play on the field. Let anyone who resents the amounts for transfers coming to Lech compare how much the Legia Warszawa or Łódź Widzew spent on buying and fabulous salaries. What effect? The Legion won't even play in the cup, and Widzew was inactive fighting for maintenance. And the sports consequence is important, besides for financial reasons. The viewer will now have a problem, due to the fact that who will buy those – as you can see – overpaid players to even lower the threshold of business failure? Doubtful the naive will find themselves.

With specified a model to effectively manage inevitable changes from period to season, a large staff is needed. Scouts, analysts, and a professional coach who can glue a squad together. Lech Poznań defended the championship title precisely due to the fact that he had all this. And I wouldn't be amazed if he reaches for it next year. During the past season, Railwayman besides combined the league with the cups, without losses for the former. It may be harder – hopefully – due to the fact that there is simply a chance that the Champions League will join the capital of Wielkopolska. Let us want for this, due to the fact that then we could actually make any thesis about the real advancement of Poland in club football. Then and only then.

Tomasz Jankowski

photo profile fb Lech Poznań

Think Poland, No. 23-24 (7-14.06.2026)