Why the Polish league has become the most exciting in Europe

The result of it all has been a bizarrely equal league.

The Ekstraklasa has had three new winners in the past decade, and five different winners in the past seven years.

Zaglebie, the league leaders until recently, are from tiny Lubin, whose 70,000 inhabitants ranks it outside the top 50 largest cities in Poland by population. They finished 15th last season, just one place above the relegation zone.

Legia Warsaw, the nation’s biggest and most successful club, are only just above the relegation zone. Last season, they reached the Conference League quarter-final stage.

This season, big-spending Widzew Lodz have signed the three most expensive players in Ekstraklasa history, according to Transfermarkt, including Ghana international Osman Bukari from Austin FC for a reported £4.8m. They are currently in the bottom three.

Is the Ekstraklasa’s unpredictability really a good thing though? The head of Canal+ is not entirely convinced, viewing it through the lens of long-term sustainability.

His model is clear: financially stable clubs, selling smartly, developing talent, and regularly reaching at least Europa League quarter-finals within five or six years.

Ultimately, he wants Polish teams in the Champions League group stage as a norm, not a surprise.

That, for him, means backing the best-run clubs – regardless of history – to compete in Europe. “For sure,” Kolodziejczyk said. “What’s the point of a competitive league if by the end of March we have no teams left in Europe?”