Raków Częstochowa facts for kids
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| Full name | Robotniczy Klub Sportowy Raków Częstochowa Spółka Akcyjna | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Medaliki (Medallions) | |||
| Founded | 15 March 1921 (as Racovia) |
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| Ground | Miejski Stadion Piłkarski Raków | |||
| Capacity | 5,500 | |||
| Owner | Michał Świerczewski | |||
| Chairman | Wojciech Cygan | |||
| Manager | Dawid Kroczek | |||
| League | Ekstraklasa | |||
| 2025–26 | Ekstraklasa, 2nd of 18 | |||
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Raków Częstochowa is a professional football club from Częstochowa, a city in Poland. They are known for their red and blue colors. The club plays in the Ekstraklasa, which is the highest football league in Poland. Raków Częstochowa is often called "Raków" by its fans.
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The History of Raków Częstochowa
Raków Częstochowa started as a sports club called "Racovia" in 1921. It was founded in a small village named Raków. After a short break, the club restarted in 1927 as the Workers Sports Club Raków. Soon after, Raków became part of the city of Częstochowa. The club received support from local groups and the Częstochowa steelworks. In 1937, they moved up to the third level of Polish football. The club paused its activities during World War II. Later, between 1951 and 1955, a new stadium was built for the team. From 1962 to 1966, Raków played in the second-highest league.
Raków had some exciting moments in the Polish Cup. In 1967, they reached the final for the first time but lost to Wisła Kraków. In 1972, they made it to the semi-finals. The club spent many years playing in the second league. A big achievement came in 1993 when their junior team finished second in the national championships! Then, in 1994, Raków made history by reaching the Ekstraklasa, Poland's top league, for the very first time. They stayed there for four seasons. After that, they faced some tough times, even dropping down to the fourth league. But Raków kept fighting and returned to the second division, the I liga, in 2016.
Rising to the Top: Promotions and European Adventures
Raków's journey took a fantastic turn in the 2018–19 season. They won the I liga and were promoted back to the Ekstraklasa after 21 long years! It was a huge celebration. That same year, they also had a great run in the Polish Cup, reaching the semi-finals. They even beat strong teams like Lech Poznań and Legia Warsaw. In their first season back in the top league (2019–20), they finished in 10th place.
The 2020–21 season was truly amazing for Raków. They finished second in the Ekstraklasa, which was their best-ever league result! This success meant they would play in a European competition for the first time: the UEFA Europa Conference League. But the victories didn't stop there! On May 2, 2021, Raków won their first major trophy, the 2020–21 Polish Cup, by beating Arka Gdynia 2–1 in the final. A few months later, on July 17, 2021, they won the 2021 Polish Super Cup by defeating Legia Warsaw in a penalty shootout.
Raków's first European adventure began in the 2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League. They played against teams from different countries. They won against FK Sūduva from Lithuania and FC Rubin Kazan from Russia. They almost made it to the group stage but were stopped by KAA Gent from Belgium in the final qualifying round.
More trophies followed! On May 2, 2022, Raków won their second Polish Cup in a row, beating Lech Poznań 3–1. They were also very close to winning the league title that season, finishing just five points behind the champions. On July 9, 2022, they secured their second consecutive Polish Super Cup, again defeating Lech Poznań. In the 2022–23 European season, they won against FC Astana and FC Spartak Trnava in the qualifiers, but then lost a close match to SK Slavia Prague.
May 7, 2023, was a historic day! Raków won the Ekstraklasa championship for the very first time! This amazing achievement meant they qualified for the prestigious UEFA Champions League. They played well, reaching the final qualifying round before moving to the UEFA Europa League group stages. In the 2025–26 season, Raków also had a strong run in the UEFA Conference League, reaching the Round of 16.
Famous Players and Club Alumni
Many talented players have come from Raków Częstochowa. Some famous names who started their careers here include Jakub Błaszczykowski, Jerzy Brzęczek, and Jacek Magiera. Other well-known Polish international players like Jacek Krzynówek and Tomasz Kiełbowicz also played for the club during their careers.
Meet the Players
Current Squad
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Players Out on Loan
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Retired Jersey Numbers
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Notable Players Who Played for Raków
These players have represented their national team at some point. Players whose name is in bold played for their country while at Raków.
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Player Records
Most Goals Scored for Raków
| # | Nat. | Name | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Zdzisław Sławuta | 106 |
| 2 | |
Waldemar Żebrowski | 98 |
| 3 | |
Sławomir Palacz | 87 |
| 4 | |
Jan Spychalski | 77 |
| 5 | |
Piotr Malinowski | 74 |
| 6 | |
Tomasz Czok | 71 |
| 7 | |
Grzegorz Skwara | 69 |
| 8 |  |
Ivi | 62 |
| 9 | |
Czesław Kusal | 59 |
| 10 | |
Mirosław Małolepszy | 56 |
Players whose name is listed in bold are still active.
Top Goalscorers by Season
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Club Honours and Trophies
League Achievements
- Ekstraklasa (Top League)
- Winners: 2022–23
- Runners-up: 2020–21, 2021–22, 2024–25
- I liga (Second Division)
- Winners: 1993–94, 2018–19
- II liga (Third Division)
- Winners: 1962, 1977–78, 1980–81, 1989–90, 2016–17
- III liga (Fourth Division)
- Winners: 1936–37, 1956, 2004–05
Cup Achievements
- Polish Cup
- Winners: 2020–21, 2021–22
- Runners-up: 1966–67, 2022–23, 2025–26
- Polish Super Cup
- Winners: 2021, 2022
- Runners-up: 2023
Raków Częstochowa in European Football
Raków Częstochowa has competed in several European tournaments, showing their skills against teams from across the continent. Here's a summary of their performance:
| Competition | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals Scored | Goals Against | Goal Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UEFA Champions League | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 6 | +6 |
| UEFA Europa League | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 10 | –7 |
| UEFA Conference League | 26 | 15 | 6 | 5 | 36 | 15 | +21 |
| Total | 40 | 21 | 9 | 10 | 51 | 31 | +20 |
European Match Results
Raków has played many exciting matches in Europe. Here are some of their notable results:
- 2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League:
- They won against FK Sūduva (Lithuania) and FC Rubin Kazan (Russia).
- They were eliminated by K.A.A. Gent (Belgium) in the play-off round.
- 2022–23 UEFA Europa Conference League:
- They defeated FC Astana (Kazakhstan) and FC Spartak Trnava (Slovakia).
- They lost to SK Slavia Prague (Czech Republic) in the play-off round.
- 2023–24 UEFA Champions League and Europa League:
- In the Champions League qualifiers, they beat FC Flora (Estonia), Qarabağ FK (Azerbaijan), and Aris Limassol FC (Cyprus).
- They were stopped by F.C. Copenhagen (Denmark) in the final Champions League qualifying round.
- They then played in the UEFA Europa League group stage.
- 2025–26 UEFA Conference League:
- They had a strong run, beating MŠK Žilina (Slovakia), Maccabi Haifa F.C. (Israel), and FC Arda Kardzhali (Bulgaria) in the qualifying rounds.
- In the League Phase, they finished 2nd, with wins against CS Universitatea Craiova (Romania) and HŠK Zrinjski Mostar (Bosnia), and a draw against SK Sigma Olomouc (Czechia).
- They reached the Round of 16 but were eliminated by ACF Fiorentina (Italy).
UEFA Team Ranking
As of 28 December 2025. Raków Częstochowa is ranked among the top football clubs in Europe by UEFA.
| Rank | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 81 | Jagiellonia Białystok |
22.000 |
| 82 |  Partizan |
22.000 |
| 83 | Raków Częstochowa |
21.750 |
| 84 |  Molde |
21.750 |
| 85 |  Omonia |
21.250 |
Coaches and Managers
Many coaches have led Raków Częstochowa throughout its history. One of the most successful was Marek Papszun, who guided the team to many of its recent triumphs. The current manager is Dawid Kroczek.
