Legia Warsaw facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Legia Warsaw

Full name	Legia Warszawa Spółka Akcyjna
Nickname(s)	Wojskowi (The Militarians) Legioniści (The Legionaries)
Founded	5 March 1916; 109 years ago (1916-03-05) as Drużyna Sportowa Legia (Sport Team Legia)
Stadium	Polish Army Stadium
Stadium capacity	31,103
Owner	Dariusz Mioduski
President	Dariusz Mioduski
Head coach	Gonçalo Feio
League	Ekstraklasa
2023–24	Ekstraklasa, 3rd of 18
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Legia Warsaw is a famous professional football club from Warsaw, Poland. It is often called just Legia. Legia is the most successful Polish football club ever! They have won a record 15 Polish league titles (called Ekstraklasa), a record 20 Polish Cup trophies, and 5 Polish Super Cup trophies.

The team plays its home games at the Polish Army Stadium. Legia is the only Polish club that has never been moved down from the top football league since World War II. The club started between March 5 and 15, 1916, during World War I. It was the main football club for the Polish Legions (soldiers fighting for Poland).

After the war, the club restarted on March 14, 1920. It was first called Wojskowy Klub Sportowy Warszawa. In 1923, it merged with another local club, Korona, and changed its name to Legia. It became the official football club of the Polish Army. From 1949 to 1957, Legia was known as CWKS Warszawa.

Since 2014, Dariusz Mioduski has owned the club and is its chairman.

Club Names Over Time

Legia Warsaw has had a few different names throughout its history. Here’s how the club's name changed:

Legia's History

How Legia Started

Legia and the Division of Sanitary team after a 7–0 win by Legia in Spring 1916

Legia players in 1916

Legia Warsaw was created between March 5 and 15, 1916. This happened during World War I in a village called Kostiuchnówka. The club was formed by soldiers of the Polish Legions. These soldiers often played football before the war. Playing football was a great way for them to spend their free time during quiet moments at the front.

The first team training started in 1915. A sergeant named Zygmunt Wasserab helped create the club. Corporal Stanisław Mielech suggested the name "Sporting Team Legia." The team's first colors were white and black. They had a white "L" on a black background as their symbol.

In the spring of 1916, Legia played many matches and won most of them. They beat the Divisional Sanitary Division 7–0. In July 1916, the club moved to Warsaw. Their first match in Warsaw was against Polonia Warsaw on April 29, 1917. It ended in a 1–1 draw. Legia also beat KS Cracovia 2–1 in Kraków, becoming an unofficial champion.

The 1920s and 1930s

The club was restarted on March 14, 1920, as the Military Sports Club (WKS) Warsaw. They chose white and red as their colors. In 1922, the club changed its name to "Military Sports Club Legia Warsaw." They also merged with an older Warsaw club, Korona. This brought new club colors: white-green.

Legia played its first international match on May 18, 1922, losing 2–9 to FK Viktoria Žižkov. In 1927, Legia joined the new Polish Football League. Their first league game was on May 8, winning 6–1 against Klub Turystów Łódź. Marian Łańko scored Legia's first league goal and a hat-trick in that game.

In 1930, the Polish Army Stadium opened. Legia drew 1–1 with Barcelona in the first match there. Legia had its best pre-war results in 1930 and 1931, finishing close to winning the championship. In 1936, Legia lost seven games in a row and was moved down from the top league. This was the only time in their history they were relegated.

The 1940s: After World War II

After World War II, Legia was restarted in April 1945. It was first called I Wojskowy Klub Sportowy Warszawa. Later, it added "Legia" back to its name. The team played friendly matches with local clubs and even international teams like IFK Norrköping from Sweden.

In 1948, Legia returned to the top league after nine years. They finished fourth in the league. In November 1949, the club changed its name again to Centralny Wojskowy Klub Sportowy (Central Army Sports Club). This made Legia a military club. It allowed them to bring in talented players from other teams, like Lucjan Brychczy and Ernest Pohl.

The 1950s: First Trophies

In 1951, Legia finished third in the league. In 1952, they reached the Polish Cup final for the first time, but lost to Polonia Warsaw.

Legia won its first major trophy on September 29, 1955. They beat Lechia Gdańsk 5–0 in the Polish Cup final. A month later, on November 20, they won their first Polish championship. This made Legia the first Polish team to win both the league and the cup in the same year!

In 1956, Legia won both titles again. They also played in the European Champions Cup for the first time. They lost to Slovan Bratislava but gained valuable experience. On July 2, 1957, the club officially changed its name back to "Military Sports Club Legia Warsaw." They also adopted the white-red-green-black colors and the current club badge.

In September 1957, Legia players were invited to Spain. They played the first match at FC Barcelona's new stadium, Camp Nou. Barcelona won 4–2.

The 1960s: European Debuts

In the 1960s, Legia was always at the top of the league. In 1960, new lights were installed at the Polish Army Stadium. This meant matches could be played at night. Legia played its 500th league match on October 26, 1960, beating Zagłębie Sosnowiec 1–0. They finished second in the league that year.

In the 1963–64 season, Legia won the Polish Cup again, beating Polonia Bytom 2–1. This win allowed them to play in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. Legia became the first Polish team to reach the quarterfinals of a European club competition.

In 1966, Legia celebrated its 50th anniversary. They won the Polish Cup again, beating Górnik Zabrze 2–1. In 1967, Kazimierz Deyna, a legendary player, joined Legia.

In the 1968–69 season, Legia won its third Polish championship. They also made their debut in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. In 1969, Legia's junior team won their first championship.

For the 1969–70 season, former player Edmund Zientara became the coach. His team won the Polish championship for the second year in a row. Legia also had great success in the European Champion Clubs' Cup, reaching the semi-finals. They beat strong teams like Saint-Étienne and Galatasaray. In the semi-final, they played against Feyenoord. The first match was a 0–0 draw, but Feyenoord won the second game 2–0.

Grotyński

Blaut

Zygmunt

Stachurski

Trzaskowski

Brychczy

Deyna

Blaut

Pieszko

Żmijewski

Gadocha

The starting line-up of the 1969–70 European Cup semi-final match against Feyenord

The 1970s: More European Adventures

The 1970s were a great time for Polish football. In 1971, Legia finished second in Poland. They reached the quarterfinals of the European Club Champions Cup again, losing to Atlético Madrid. In September 1972, Legia beat Víkingur Reykjavík 9–0 in the European Cup Winners' Cup. This was the biggest win for a Polish team in European competitions!

Legia won its fifth Polish Cup in 1973. They beat Polonia in the final after a penalty shootout. In 1975, Robert Gadocha became one of the first Polish players to be transferred to a Western European club, joining FC Nantes.

In 1976, Legia celebrated its 60th anniversary. The team also traveled to Indonesia in 1977. In the late 1970s, Legia didn't finish in the top three of the league. The 1978–79 season was the last for Kazimierz Deyna at the club. On September 18, 1979, Deyna had a farewell friendly match against Manchester City.

The 1980s: Cup Wins and Challenges

Legia started the 1980s by winning the Polish Cup in 1980, beating Lech Poznań 5–0. A year later, they defended the Polish Cup title. In the 1981–82 season, Legia reached the quarterfinals of the European Club Champions Cup. They lost to Dinamo Tbilisi.

In the mid-1980s, Legia finished second in the league twice. This allowed them to play in the UEFA Cup. They faced Inter Milan twice in Europe. In 1985, they drew 0–0 at home with Inter, which was a big achievement.

In 1986, Legia traveled to China and won the Great Wall Cup. At the end of 1987, the speedway track at the Legia stadium was removed to make the football field bigger.

In 1989, Legia won the Polish Cup again, beating Jagiellonia Białystok 5–2. Two weeks later, they won the Polish Super Cup for the first time. On September 1, 1989, the legendary Legia captain, Kazimierz Deyna, sadly passed away in a car accident.

Later in 1989, Legia played against FC Barcelona in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. They drew 1–1 in Barcelona, but lost 0–1 at home.

The 1990s: League Titles and Champions League

The early 1990s were tough for Legia in the league. In the 1991–92 season, they almost got moved down to the second league. However, they won the Polish Cup in 1990 and reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1990–91. They lost to Manchester United.

In 1992, a businessman named Janusz Romanowski became a sponsor. This helped the club bring in new players. In 1993, Legia won the Polish championship. However, the Polish Football Association (PZPN) took the title away from them due to accusations of unfair play in the last match.

In the next season, 1993–94, Legia won their fifth Polish title. They also won the Polish Cup and the Polish Super Cup, achieving a "triple crown." In 1995, Legia won their sixth Polish championship and the Polish Cup again.

After winning the championship in 1995, Legia qualified for the UEFA Champions League. They beat IFK Göteborg to reach the group stage. In the group, they played against Rosenborg BK, Spartak Moscow, and Blackburn Rovers. Legia finished second in their group and reached the quarterfinals. They lost to Panathinaikos Athens.

In 1997, the club changed its name to Sportowa Spółka Akcyjna (SSA) Legia Warsaw. They also got a new sponsor, Daewoo, and for a short time, the club's name included "Legia-Daewoo." This change was not popular with the fans. Legia finished second in the league and won the Polish Cup and Super Cup that year.

The 2000s: New Ownership and More Success

In March 2001, Daewoo stopped funding the club. The club's name went back to ASPN CWKS "Legia" Warszawa SSA. In the 2001–02 season, Legia won its seventh Polish championship. They also won the Polish League Cup.

In the summer of 2002, Legia played in the Champions League qualifiers. They lost to FC Barcelona. After that, they played in the UEFA Cup. On April 8, 2004, a company called ITI Group bought the club. Legia finished second in the league and reached the Polish Cup final that season.

The 2005–06 season was special because Legia celebrated its 90th anniversary. They won their eighth Polish championship. The city of Warsaw also decided to help pay for a big renovation of the Legia stadium.

In 2007, there was a change to the club's badge. The new design was not liked by fans, so the club went back to a modified version of the old badge. In 2007, Legia fans caused some trouble during a match in Lithuania. As a result, UEFA banned Legia from European competitions for five years. However, this ban was later reduced.

In the 2008–09 season, Legia finished second in the league. They also reached the semi-finals of the Polish Cup.

The 2010s: Champions League Return

A home game against Wisła Kraków in the 2014–15 Ekstraklasa

Legia won its 10th league title at the end of the 2013–14 Ekstraklasa season. On August 23, 2016, Legia qualified for the Champions League group stages for the first time in 21 years! They were in a tough group with Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, and Sporting Lisbon. Legia finished third in their group, which sent them to the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League knockout stage.

Legia supporters at the National Stadium during the 2015–16 Polish Cup final

Legia won its 12th league title in the 2016–17 Ekstraklasa season. They secured the title on the last day of the season. Legia won their third league title in a row in a dramatic way. They needed to win against Lech Poznań to guarantee the title. Legia was awarded a 3–0 victory after the game was stopped because Lech fans threw flares and ran onto the field.

The 2020s: More Trophies

On April 28, 2021, Legia won its 15th Polish championship. This made Legia the club with the most Polish league titles ever!

On August 26, 2021, Legia beat Slavia Prague to qualify for a European group stage again. They played in the UEFA Europa League group stage against Leicester City, Napoli, and Spartak Moscow. Legia won their first two matches but then lost four in a row and finished last in the group.

Legia supporters during the 2022–23 Polish Cup final against Raków Częstochowa

In 2023, Legia won two big trophies: the Polish Cup and the Polish Super Cup. They won both against Raków Częstochowa after penalty shootouts. In the 2023–24 season, Legia Warsaw played in the UEFA Europa Conference League group stage for the first time. They earned 12 points and moved on to the knockout round play-offs.

Legia's Stadium and Training Center

Legia plays its home games at the Legia Warsaw Municipal Stadium of Marshal Józef Piłsudski. It is also known as the Polish Army Stadium. Legia has played there since August 9, 1930. The stadium can hold 31,103 fans, making it the 5th biggest football stadium in the Ekstraklasa.

The stadium was greatly rebuilt between 2008 and 2011. All the old stands were taken down and replaced with bigger, more modern ones. This increased the stadium's capacity from 13,500 to over 31,000 seats. The City of Warsaw owns the Polish Army Stadium.

Besides the main stadium, Legia also has a new Legia Training Center. It was finished in June 2020. This center is in Książenice. It is used by the first team, reserve team, and youth teams. The center has eight pitches (six with natural grass, two with artificial grass). It also has a hotel and a dormitory for young players.

Club Sponsors

Legia Warsaw has had many different sponsors over the years. These companies help support the club.

Fans and Rivalries

Legia Warsaw is one of the most popular football clubs in Poland. They have many dedicated fans in Warsaw and across the country. Legia supporters are known for being very passionate and loud. They often travel to support Legia at away matches, both in Poland and in other countries.

The organized fan movement for Legia Warsaw started in the 1970s. This was when Legia fans saw how Western European fans supported their teams during European cup matches. They were inspired by the Dutch fans during a match against Feyenoord in 1970.

The old Żyleta stand

The most dedicated fans traditionally sit in the Żyleta stand at the stadium. Before the stadium was renovated (2008–2011), the "old" Żyleta was the central part of the eastern stand. Now, the "new" Żyleta is the entire northern stand, behind one of the goals. There is even a special exhibit about the "old" Żyleta in the Legia Warsaw Museum.

Legia fans are also known for showing their patriotic views. They take part in yearly events like the commemorations of the Warsaw Uprising and Polish Independence Day.

Legia Warsaw fans have friendly relationships with fans of Radomiak Radom, Zagłębie Sosnowiec, Olimpia Elbląg, ADO Den Haag (from the Netherlands), and Juventus (from Italy).

Their main rivals in Poland are almost all other top-tier teams. The biggest rivalry is with Lech Poznań, and their matches are called the "Derby of Poland." In Warsaw, their main local rival used to be Polonia Warsaw.

Warsaw Derby Matches

Here are the results of matches between Legia and Polonia Warsaw:

Club Achievements

Legia Warsaw Museum opened in 2006

Legia Warsaw has won many important trophies both in Poland and in European competitions.

In Poland

Legia has won more Polish league titles and Polish Cups than any other club.

In Europe

Legia has also done well in European club competitions:

• European Cup/Champions League:
  • Semi-finals: 1969–70
  • Quarter-finals: 1970–71, 1995–96
  • Group stage: 2016–17
• UEFA Cup Winners' Cup:
  • Semi-finals: 1990–91
  • Quarter-finals: 1964–65, 1981–82
• UEFA Europa League:
  • Round of 32: 2011–12, 2014–15, 2016–17
  • Group stage: 2013–14, 2015–16, 2021–22
• UEFA Conference League:
  • Knockout play-offs round: 2023–24

Legia Warsaw in European Football

Best Results in European Competitions

Home game with Feyenoord in the semi-finals of the 1969–70 European Cup

Here are some of Legia's best performances in major European tournaments:

Season	Achievement	Notes
European Cup / UEFA Champions League
1970	Semi-Final	lost to Feyenoord (0–0 in Warsaw, 0–2 in Rotterdam)
1971	Quarter-Final	lost to Atlético Madrid (0–1 in Madrid, 2–1 in Warsaw)
1996	Quarter-Final	lost to Panathinaikos (0–0 in Warsaw, 0–3 in Athens)
UEFA Cup / UEFA Europa League
1986	Third round	lost to Internazionale (0–1 in Warsaw, 0–0 in Milan)
2012	Round of 32	lost to Sporting (2–2 in Warsaw, 0–1 in Lisbon)
2015	Round of 32	lost to Ajax (0–3 in Warsaw, 0–1 in Amsterdam)
2017	Round of 32	lost to Ajax (0–0 in Warsaw, 0–1 in Amsterdam)
UEFA Europa Conference League
2024	Round of 32	lost to Molde FK (2–3 in Molde, 0–3 in Warsaw)
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
1965	Quarter-Final	lost to 1860 München (0–4 in Warsaw, 0–0 in Munich)
1982	Quarter-Final	lost to Dinamo Tbilisi (0–1 in Warsaw, 0–1 in Tbilisi)
1991	Semi-Final	lost to Manchester United (1–3 in Warsaw, 1–1 in Manchester)

Club Records

Here are some interesting facts and records about Legia Warsaw:

• Seasons in the top league: 73 seasons (from 1927 to 1936 and from 1948 until now).
• Biggest win in the league: Legia Warsaw 12–0 Wisła Kraków (August 19, 1956).
• Biggest defeat in the league: Pogoń Lwów 11–2 Legia Warsaw (September 3, 1927).
• Longest winning streak in the league: 9 wins in a row (in 1931 and 1932).
• Longest losing streak in the league: 7 losses in a row (in 1936 and 2021).
• Oldest player to score a goal: Lucjan Brychczy (37 years, 2 months, 25 days old).
• Youngest player to score a goal: Ariel Borysiuk (16 years, 8 months, 5 days old).

Most Appearances These players have played the most games for Legia Warsaw: # Name Years Played Games Played 1 Lucjan Brychczy 1954–72 452 2 Jacek Zieliński 1992–05 404 3 Miroslav Radović 2006–15 2016–19 391 4 Kazimierz Deyna 1966–78 390 5 Artur Jędrzejczyk 2006–13 2016, 2017– 387 6 Jakub Rzeźniczak 2004–17 376 7 Marek Jóźwiak 1988–05 348 8 Horst Mahseli 1955–69 347 9 Michał Kucharczyk 2010–19 346 10 Tomasz Kiełbowicz 2001–12 339 Bold – still playing for Legia

Top Goalscorers These players have scored the most goals for Legia Warsaw: # Player Years Played Goals Scored 1 Lucjan Brychczy 1954–72 226 2 Kazimierz Deyna 1966–78 141 3 Józef Nawrot 1927–36 107 4 Miroslav Radović 2006–15 2016–19 91 5 Robert Gadocha 1967–75 88 6 Marek Saganowski 2002–05 2012–16 87 7 Janusz Żmijewski 1960–72 80 8 Cezary Kucharski 1995–06 79 9 Marcin Mięciel 1994–10 75 Marian Łańko 1925–30 75 Bold – still playing for Legia

Players

Current Squad

No. Position Player 1 GK Kacper Tobiasz 3 DF Steve Kapuadi 4 DF Marco Burch 5 MF Claude Gonçalves 6 MF Maxi Oyedele 7 FW Tomáš Pekhart 8 MF Rafał Augustyniak 11 MF Kacper Chodyna 12 DF Radovan Pankov 13 MF Paweł Wszołek 17 FW Migouel Alfarela 19 DF Rúben Vinagre (on loan from Sporting) 20 FW Jakub Żewłakow 21 MF Jurgen Çelhaka 22 MF Juergen Elitim 23 MF Patryk Kun

No. Position Player 24 DF Jan Ziółkowski 25 DF Ryoya Morishita (on loan from Nagoya Grampus) 27 GK Gabriel Kobylak 28 FW Marc Gual 31 GK Marcel Mendes-Dudziński 42 DF Sergio Barcia 53 MF Wojciech Urbański 55 DF Artur Jędrzejczyk (captain) 56 DF Jan Leszczyński 67 MF Bartosz Kapustka 71 MF Mateusz Szczepaniak 77 FW Jean-Pierre Nsame (on loan from Como) 80 MF Jakub Adkonis 82 MF Luquinhas (on loan from Fortaleza) 99 FW Jordan Majchrzak

Players on Loan

These players are currently playing for other teams on a temporary basis:

No. Position Player 86 MF Igor Strzałek (at Bruk-Bet Termalica until 30 June 2025) MF Bartłomiej Ciepiela (at Znicz Pruszków until 30 June 2025)

No. Position Player GK Maciej Kikolski (at Radomiak Radom until 30 June 2025)

Other Players Under Contract

These players are part of the club but might not be in the main squad right now:

No. Position Player MF Jakub Kisiel

No. Position Player MF Ramil Mustafaev

Retired Numbers

Legia has retired one jersey number to honor a special player:

No. Position Player 10 MF Kazimierz Deyna (1966–78 – honored after his death)

Hall of Fame

These are some of the legendary players and coaches who have been honored in the Legia Warsaw Hall of Fame:

Coaching Staff

This table shows the people who currently coach and support the Legia Warsaw team:

Position	Staff
Head coach	Gonçalo Feio
Assistant coach	Iñaki Astiz
Assistant coach	Grzegorz Mokry
Assistant coach	Emanuel Ribeiro
Assistant coach	Daniel Wojtasz
Goalkeeping coach	Krzysztof Dowhań
Goalkeeping coach	Arkadiusz Malarz
Team manager	Konrad Paśniewski
Head of fitness department	Bartosz Bibrowicz
Fitness coach	José Antonio Asián Clemente
Fitness coach	Dawid Goliński
Head of medical department	Filip Latawiec
Team doctor	Maciej Kostewicz
Physiotherapist	Kacper Balcerak
Physiotherapist	Szymon Kałuża
Physiotherapist	Bartosz Kot
Physiotherapist	Maciej Treutz-Kuszyński
Match analyst	Maciej Krzymień
Legia Lab director	Piotr Żmijewski
Kit manager	Krzysztof Rzymowski
Kit manager	Sebastian Wołowicz
Dietician	Urszula Somow
Cook	Michał Matuszewski

Management Team

This table shows the people who manage the Legia Warsaw club:

Job	Name
Owner/President	Dariusz Mioduski
Board members	Jarosław Jurczak
	Jarosław Jankowski
	Tomasz Zahorski
	Szymon Milczanowski
Chairman of Legia Foundation	Anna Mioduska
Proxy of the President for Communications and Strategic Projects	Artur Adamowicz
Board advisor	Bernhard Heusler
Sporting director	Jacek Zieliński
Scouting director/Deputy sporting director	Tomasz Kiełbowicz
Academy executive director	Richard Grootscholten

Coaches Through the Years

Here is a list of all the head coaches who have led Legia Warsaw:

See also

In Spanish: Legia de Varsovia para niños

• Legia Warsaw II (Legia's reserve team)
• Football in Poland
• Polish Army Stadium
• Żyleta