Europa League-Bound Wisla Krakow: A Polish Soccer Fairytale Born In Spain

Of all the esteemed coaches hailing from Spain’s Catalunya region, from Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola to Barcelona’s Xavi, Albert Rudé is very much on the periphery. Quite far away, in fact, and managing in Poland these days.

He’s now celebrating, too. On May 2, 2024, the man from Girona helped write some history. The clock was ticking down in the Polish Cup final between Pogoń Szczecin and Wisła Kraków at Warsaw’s national stadium. Eight minutes into injury time, with Pogoń 1-0 up, the match was effectively over. Then, in the dying embers, it wasn’t.

Eneko Satrústegui, formerly a left-back in La Liga for Osasuna, latched onto a loose ball inside the box. Aged 33, he’d only scored one goal in his career, but he duly smashed the ball into the net. The game went to extra time. Kraków scored again, this time through striker Ángel Rodado, and won.

“We deeply deserved this happy moment. What can you say? We played fantastic—even great,” Rudé commented following the achievement (Polish), capping off a memorable journey with victories against much stronger teams. “Everyone gave their maximum. And that resulted in winning the trophy.”

Wisła Kraków is among the biggest teams in Poland but is currently fighting in the country’s second division. It’s not your average club, either. In short, the last decade has seen hooligans hijack the board and wreck its finances, a prospective owner ghost it, and a Polish soccer hero, retired midfielder Jakub Błaszczykowski, return to steady the wobbling ship.

Yet, glory in the nationwide cup means Wisła will play Europa League soccer next season—remarkable for a second-tier side. Equally significant to Rudé and his players is promotion to Poland’s first league, still possible outright or via the playoffs. Notably, this upturn in fortunes has coincided with a growing Spanish influence at the club.

As a La Vanguardia report pointed out before the final, it has nine Spaniards on the books (Spanish), plus Rudé—once a university professor back in Spain—and sporting director Kiko Ramírez. Its top scorer, Rodado, was the first to arrive two years ago, and a host of compatriots have since joined him.

Of course, the recruits have not earned their stripes at Real Madrid or Barcelona but at names in the Spanish second tier. They have also mainly been free acquisitions and form part of a clear sporting strategy. Wisła has a chequered past and is vulnerable to problems, but with proper shareholders in place, it seems to be on a steadier footing.

While the attention outside Poland naturally gravitates towards the higher-quality European competitions, Wisła’s triumph shows how far Spain’s soccer diaspora can go. Such is the concentration of technical players from various regions—let alone the nation—there is no shortage of players on the market.

As for Rudé, the trainer behind this particular triumph, he may soon catch the eye of some La Liga teams needing fresh ideas.