Widzew Łódź Explained

Clubname:RTS Widzew Łódź
Nickname:Widzewiacy, Czerwona Armia (Red Army)
Upright:0.8
Fullname:RTS Widzew Łódź
Founded: as TMRF Widzew
Ground:Stadion Miejski Widzewa
Capacity:18,018
Chairman:Michał Rydz
Manager:Daniel Myśliwiec
League:Ekstraklasa
Season:2023–24
Position:Ekstraklasa, 9th of 18
Website:https://widzew.com
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Current:2024–25 Widzew Łódź season

RTS Widzew Łódź (pronounced as /pol/) is a Polish football club based in Łódź. The club was founded in 1910. Its official colours are red and white, hence their nicknames Czerwona Armia (Red Army) and Czerwono-biało-czerwoni (Red-white-reds). They compete in the Ekstraklasa, the top tier of the Polish football league system, since the 2022-23 season.

History

The club was founded in 1910 as Towarzystwo Miłośników Rozwoju Fizycznego Widzew (Society of Physical Development Fans Widzew). Its name comes from the name of the city district Widzew, while RTS stands for Workers' Sports Association (in Polish Robotnicze Towarzystwo Sportowe). The club was founded by Polish workers and German industrialists who were employees of the Widzew textile manufactory called WIMA. Initially, the club was called the Widzew Association for Physical Development (in Polish: Towarzystwo Miłośników Rozwoju Fizycznego Widzew) because at that time Łódź was under the rule of the Russian Tsar and the adjective "workers'" (in Polish: Robotniczy) could not be used in the club's name. The club's mottos are Together We Create Power (in Polish Razem Tworzymy Siłę) and Always 12 (in Polish Zawsze w 12) which is meant to suggest that its fans are the twelfth player on the team. The club plays its matches at its stadium, located in Łódź at 138 Marszałka Józefa Piłsudskiego Avenue. The stadium bears the unofficial but commonly used name of the Heart of Łódź (in Polish Serce Łodzi).

After the First World War, Poland regained its independence and the club was reactivated in 1922 as Robotnicze Towarzystwo Sportowe Widzew Łódź (Workers' Sports Association Widzew Łódź).

During World War II, three pre-war players of Widzew Łódź, Joachim Schreer, Mirosław Wągrowski and Aleksander Żadziłko, were among Poles murdered by the Russians in the large Katyn massacre in April–May 1940.[1]

Widzew has won four Polish league championships, in 1980–81, 1981–82, 1995–96 and 1996–97, as well as the 1985 Polish Cup.[2]

After winning back-to-back championships in 1980–81 and 1981–82, Widzew reclaimed the league crown 14 years later after a record season once again.[3] During the successful 1995–96 season, Widzew conceded only 22 goals in 34 matches, the least out of all teams in the league. They were also proficient in attack, scoring 84 goals and securing 88 points across the campaign.[4] Thanks in part to the great performance of their goalkeeper Andrzej Woźniak, the team remained unbeaten for the whole season.

In the following 1996–97 season, the team enjoyed another great season. For the second time in the club's history, they secured back-to-back championships, scoring 74 goals across the season and conceding only 21.[5]

They have appeared in 117 matches in European Cups, of which they won 42. Widzew knocked European giants Manchester United out of the 1980–81 UEFA Cup, although their biggest achievement was reaching the semi-final of the 1982–83 European Cup, eliminating then three-time winners Liverpool along the way.

Recent history

At the beginning of the 2007–08 season, Widzew was purchased by one of the wealthiest men in Poland, Sylwester Cacek.[6]

In January 2008, while playing in the second division, the Polish Football Association ruled that Widzew Łódź should be relegated due to their involvement in a corruption scandal. However, Widzew became champions that year and were allowed to stay in the second division, which was renamed I liga before the start of the 2008-09 season. Despite being deducted six points as a penalty, Widzew won the I Liga again in the 2009-10 season, and were promoted to the Ekstraklasa. However, Widzew were once again relegated at the end of the 2013–14 season after four seasons.

Due to financial problems, Widzew finished last at the end of the 2014–15 season, and subsequently went bankrupt.

Local businessmen Marcin Ferdzyn and Grzegorz Waranecki decided to take on amateur status as a new association called Stowarzyszenie Reaktywacja Tradycji Sportowych Widzew Łódź (Association of the Reactivation of the Sports Traditions of Widzew Łódź),[7] which continues the tradition of the old RTS Widzew Łódź. The new association was registered in a Polish court on 2 July 2015, and within a few weeks of summer 2015, they managed to hire a new coach Witold Obarek and gather a new roster, which started the 2015–16 season in the fifth tier of Polish football. In their first season in IV liga, Widzew won promotion. In the 2016–17 season, Widzew achieved third place in III liga, behind Drwęca Nowe Miasto Lubawskie and ŁKS Łódź, but next season yielded promotion to II liga. In the 2018–19 season, they finished in fifth place with 55 points. In the 2021–22 season, Widzew finished 2nd, one point ahead of Arka Gdynia, and returned to Ekstraklasa for the first time since the 2013–14 season.[8]

Honours

Domestic

League

Cup

Europe

Youth teams

Results in Ekstraklasa

SeasonPositionMatchesPointsGoalsW.-D.-L.
1194814 (relegation)2613 pts.31–995–3–18
21975–7653032 pts.33–3310–12–8
31976–7723038 pts.46–3114–10–6
41977–78103028 pts.34–409–10–11
51978–7923039 pts.37–2614–11–5
61979–8023036 pts.47–3913–10–7
71980–8113039 pts.39–2514–11–5
81981–8213039 pts.45–3114–11–5
91982–8323038 pts.50–3013–12–5
101983–8423042 pts.43–2515–12–3
111984–8533038 pts.34–1613–12–5
121985–8633041 pts.40–2515–11–4
131986–8763036 pts.34–2914–7–9
141987–8853031 pts.28–248–15–7
151988–89 73029 pts.27–279–12–9
161989–9015 (relegation)3017 pts.22–394–12–14
171991–9233443 pts.48–2817–9–8
181992–9353443 pts.60–4216–11–7
191993–9463439 pts.45–3312–15–7
201994–9523445 pts.48–2517–11–6
211995–9613488 pts.84–2227–7–0
221996–9713481 pts.74–2025–6–3
231997–9843461 pts.53–3418–7–9
241998–9923056 pts.50–3318–2–10
251999–200073040 pts.48–5411–7–12
262000–01123036 pts.33–409–9–12
272001–02
Autumn round
– group A:
81411 pts.9–243–2–9
Spring round
– g. relegation:
21431 pts.19–86–7–1
282002–0393037 pts.29–3910–7–13
292003–0414 (relegation)2619 pts.25–524–7–15
302006–07123028 pts.27–487–7–16
312007–0815 (relegation)3026 pts.27–425–11–14
322010–1193043 pts.41–3411–10–9
332011–12113039 pts.25–269–12–9
342012–13133033 pts.30–418–9–13
352013–1415 (relegation)3722 pts.36–598–9–20
362022–23123441 pts.38–4711–8–15
372023–2493446 pts.45–4613–7–14

Widzew in Europe

SeasonCompetitionRoundClubScore
1977–78UEFA Cup1R Manchester City2–2, 0–0
2R PSV Eindhoven3–5, 0–1
1979–80UEFA Cup1R AS Saint-Étienne2–1, 0–3
1980–81UEFA Cup1R Manchester United1–1, 0–0
2R Juventus FC3–1, 1–3 p. 4–1
3R Ipswich Town0–5, 1–0
1981–82European Cup1R RSC Anderlecht1–4, 1–2
1982–83European Cup1R Hibernians FC4–1, 3–1
2R SK Rapid Wien1–2, 5–3
1/4F Liverpool F.C.2–0, 2–3
1/2F Juventus FC0–2, 2–2
1983–84UEFA Cup1R IF Elfsborg0–0, 2–2
2R Sparta Prague1–0, 0–3
1984–85UEFA Cup1R Aarhus Gymnastik Forening2–0, 0–1
2R Borussia Mönchengladbach2–3, 1–0
3R FC Dinamo Minsk0–2, 1–0
1985–86European Cup Winners' Cup1R Galatasaray SK0–1, 2–1
1986–87UEFA Cup1R LASK Linz1–1, 1–0
2R Bayer 05 Uerdingen0–0, 0–2
1992–93UEFA Cup1R Eintracht Frankfurt2–2, 0–9
1995–96UEFA CupQ Bangor City FC4–0, 1–0
1R FC Chornomorets Odesa1–0, 0–1 p. 5–6
1996–97UEFA Champions LeagueQ Brøndby IF2–1, 2–3
GR Borussia Dortmund1–2, 2–2
GR Atlético Madrid1–4, 0–1
GR Steaua București0–1, 2–0
1997–98UEFA Champions League1Q Neftchi Baku2–0, 8–0
2Q Parma FC1–3, 0–4
UEFA Cup1R Udinese Calcio1–0, 0–3
1999–00UEFA Champions League2Q Litex Lovech4–1, 1–4 p. 3–2
3Q ACF Fiorentina1–3, 0–2
UEFA Cup1R Skonto FC0–1, 2–0
2R AS Monaco FC1–1, 0–2

Best results in European competitions

SeasonAchievementNotes
European Cup/UEFA Champions League
1982–83Semi-finallost to Juventus 0–2 in Turin, 2–2 in Łódź
UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League
1980–81Round of 16lost to Ipswich Town 0–5 in Ipswich, 1–0 in Łódź
1984–85Round of 16lost to Dinamo Minsk 0–2 in Łódź, 1–0 in Tbilisi

Current squad

Out on loan

Notable players

Managers

[9]

Stadium

The club's home stadium was the Stadion Miejski opened in 1930. The stadium, which was owned by the city of Łódź, had a capacity of 10,500 seats. In early 2015, it was demolished to make way for a new stadium with 18,000 seats. It was intended the new stadium will be completed by November 2016.

In the 2014–15 season, Widzew played their home matches in Byczyna near Poddębice, 40 km west of Łódź.[10]

After bankruptcy and relegation to the fifth division, a rebuilt team was forced to play its domestic games in Łódź at UKS SMS Łódź stadium,[11] during the construction of a new Widzew's stadium.

The first match at their new stadium was played on the 18th March, 2017, where Widzew won against Motor Lubawa 2–0.[12] 17,443 fans attended the game.

Fans

Widzew has one of the largest fan-bases in Poland with fan-clubs all around the country. Widzew's biggest rival is ŁKS Łódź, with whom they contest the Łódź Derby. Legia Warsaw are also big rivals, with whom they contest the Derby of Poland, which stems from the fact there were frequent title races between the two clubs. GKS Bełchatów is third biggest rival of Widzew. Their fans maintain friendly relations with fans of Ruch Chorzów, Elana Toruń, KKS Kalisz, Wisła Kraków.[13]

TMRF Widzew Łódź

See main article: TMRF Widzew Łódź. TMRF Widzew was a football team created by the active supporters of Widzew in 2014, who were in a long conflict with the club board. Only Widzew supporters were admitted to the squad.

Regular season

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Ciesielski. Kacper. 2021. Sportowcy wśród ofiar zbrodni katyńskiej oraz powiązane z nimi artefakty grobowe i archiwalia w zbiorach Muzeum Katyńskiego. Łambinowicki rocznik muzealny. Opole. pl. 44. 147. 0137-5199.
  2. Web site: Widzew Łódź – Profile. 2020-12-22. worldfootball.net. en.
  3. Web site: Rekordowo mistrzowski sezon 1995–1996. 2020-12-22. widzew.com. pl-PL.
  4. Web site: Andrzej Woźniak Profile. 2020-12-29. BonusCodes. de.
  5. Web site: Widzew Lodz - tables & standings Ekstraklasa 1996/1997 season, statistics, results, fixtures and more from Tribuna.com. 2020-12-22. Tribuna.com.
  6. http://www.widzewiak.pl/dorobek/historia Historia Widzewa
  7. http://www.lodz.sport.pl/sport-lodz/1,117110,18288014,Jest_nowy_Widzew__Reaktywacja_Tradycji_Sportowych.html Jest nowy Widzew! Reaktywacja Tradycji Sportowych Widzew Łódź
  8. Web site: Widzew w Ekstraklasie . 90minut.pl . 22 May 2022 . Polish . 22 May 2022.
  9. If not marked in a different way – I league
  10. http://sieradz.naszemiasto.pl/artykul/byczyna-dla-widzewa-jest-umowa-wladze-klubu-dogadaly-sie-z,3288869,art,t,id,tm.html Byczyna dla Widzewa. Jest umowa. Władze klubu dogadały się z gminą Poddębice
  11. http://www.expressilustrowany.pl/artykul/3932343,rts-widzew-bedzie-gral-na-stadionie-sms,id,t.html RTS Widzew będzie grał na stadionie SMS
  12. Web site: Widzew Łódź - Wygrana na otwarcie stadionu - relacja z meczu z Motorem Lubawa - Aktualności.
  13. Web site: WidzewToMy - Oficjalny portal kibiców Widzewa Łódź.