#PROMOTION

Legia has won its fourth game in a row in the group phase of the UEFA Europa League. This time Warsaw players defeated 2-1 FC Metalist Kharkiv at Łazienkowska on Thursday evening. Thanks to this victory Legia has been promoted to the 1/16 final of this European tournament.

In the second leg of the second qualifying round (Champions League) Legia’s players demolished 5-0 Irish team Saint Patrick’s Athletic FC at Shamrock’s Tallaght Stadium on Wednesday evening and won the promotion to the third qualifying round.

Legia Warsaw lost 0-2 its last match of the UEFA Europa League’s group stage against Hapoel Tel Aviv Football Club on Thursday evening. During the game, Wojciech Skaba was Warsaw team’s first goalkeeper. Everything due to the fact that Dušan Kuciak was punished with a red card in the match against PSV Eindhoven which took place in the capital of Poland on 30th November.

After quite good game Legia’s players were able to defeat 2-0 Ruch Chorzów in the second leg of the Polish Cup’s quarterfinal and they won the promotion to the semifinal. Both goals were scored by Warsaw team’s captain Ivica Vrdoljak – the first few seconds before the end of the first half and the second nearly fifteen minutes after the break. Footballers from Łazienkowska drew 1-1 in the first match played in Upper Silesia two weeks ago. We encourage you to see three photo reports from the game: the first one prepared by Mishka, the second one by GeoS, and the third one by Hagi.

Legia Warszawa drew 2-2 with Danish Broendby Copenhagen in the second leg of the third qualifying round (UEFA Europa League). Due to 1-1 draw in Copenhagen one week ago, this is Broendby which won the promotion to the next stage on away goals.

Licence Appeals Board is going to reargue ŁKS's case concerning its licence motion. The Board also emphasized that the Federal Football Tribunal's decision concerning Widzew Łódź was binding and feasible. This means that Widzew is going to start the season in the First Division again, and Korona Kielce which was the third in the First Division after last season promotes directly to the Ekstraklasa.

This is still not known which teams are going to play in the Ekstraklasa next season. Commission on Urgent Matters of the Polish Football Association (PZPN) cancelled playoffs between Cracovia Cracow and Korona Kielce which are connected with the promotion to the Ekstraklasa. The main reason of the cancellation was the decision of the Polish Supreme Court which reversed the decision concerning the withdrawal of Widzew Łódź's relegation on Wednesday. It required to rehear the case by the Commission of Arbitration of the Polish Olympic Committee.

After one-year break teams from Lubin and Łódź return to the Ekstraklasa. Zagłębie promoted to the higher division thanks to the victory 4-0 over Korona Kielce on Friday. Widzew defeated Znicz Pruszków on Sunday and also returns to the Ekstraklasa. There are still four clubs (Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała, Korona Kielce, Znicz Pruszków and Flota Świnoujście) which fight for the promotion to the Ekstraklasa. Team which is going to be the third in the First Division (I liga), is going to take part in playoffs with the 14th club of the Ekstraklasa.

According to the announcement of the Polish Football Association (PZPN) there are not going to be any playoffs with the beginning of the season 2009/2010. It means that after next season two clubs will be relegated from the Ekstraklasa to the First Division and four clubs will be relegated from the First Division to the Second Division. Currently (if we talk about the Ekstraklasa), two worst teams are relegated to the lower division directly and one has a chance to stay in the league if it wins playoffs with the third team from the First Division.