Blind Football: The Cup is ours!

Last weekend, the players and staff of Wisła's blind football section won the trophy in the 2024 Polish Blind Football Cup. They thus ended the club's season with a golden double, having won the league championship a month earlier.

The Polish Cup tournament took place in Kraków on October 12-13, with Wisła defending the gold medal they won in Wrocław the previous year. In the group stage, they faced Warta Poznań BF and Niezłomni Zabrze BF. Both matches went according to plan, defeating their group opponents 6-0 and 11-0 with ease.

"Finishing the group in first place was our obligation, which we more than fulfilled. Both matches went smoothly, and the only concern we had after Saturday's end was the injury to Pavel Zinkov, who ultimately turned out not to be so serious. The matches themselves were very similar to what we had the opportunity to play in the league. Lots of freedom, interchangeable positions, and a lot of names on the scoresheet. It was a good omen before the final," said Martin Jung.

On Sunday, Wisła Kraków played only one match, the final against Śląsk Wrocław BF, who also recorded a perfect record in their group, defeating Bielsko and the newcomers from Warsaw. The clash with Wojskowy was the third meeting between the two teams this year – the previous two were won by Biała Gwiazda BF 1-0 and 4-0, respectively, all in the PGF Blind Football League.

"We were more than certain that we were facing the toughest match of the season, completely different from any other match we'd faced in recent months in the league. We were confident in our abilities, but we also knew that the final was something different, and the players from Wrocław knew that well. The game plan turned out to be almost identical to the one we'd discussed in the locker room and worked through in training," noted Rafał Kurlit.

Śląsk BF erected an incredibly solid wall in front of the penalty area, effectively eliminating any attacks from our side. Wisła BF players were forced to intensely harass their opponents with a variety of varied moves, which, brick by brick, crumbled their opponent's defensive lines. Unfortunately, even when scoring opportunities did arise, Michał Płachecki, winner of the Best Goalkeeper award in the league and this year's Polish Cup, made excellent saves in goal for the Wrocław team. Fortunately, even he had to surrender at one point, much to the delight of the Kraków fans.

"As the game wore on, it became increasingly difficult to play. It wasn't physical, but rather psychological. We felt we had the upper hand, we weren't allowing the opponent to get out of their own half, that the defense was starting to buckle, and yet we couldn't find the back of the net. Less than four minutes before the final whistle, Śląsk committed another close-range foul. I had a chance to shoot from close range behind the screen, and that proved to be the key," said Paweł Zinkow.

The MVP of the final league season fired a left-footed shot from just outside the six-yard box, hitting the near post. The goal proved to be worth its weight in gold. The opponents, exhausted and frustrated, tightened their play, hoping for an equalizer, but their efforts turned into penalties from the eight-yard box – unfortunately, both attempts failed to add to the scoreboard. After the final whistle, the efforts of the White Star BF players turned into well-deserved celebrations.

"This will never happen again. I'm talking about the season when, for the first time, we could win gold in the league and gold in the cup. We did it! We're happy, proud, and motivated to continue working, but now we deserve a moment to ourselves to celebrate," concluded Marcin Ryszka.

In addition to the team triumph, two players from Krakow also received individual awards – Martin Jung received the Top Scorer statuette, and Paweł Zinkow was named the tournament MVP.

Wisła Kraków's blind football team was ruthless against its domestic rivals during the club's recent season. They won everything on their own terms. Such a success requires a proper celebration, which will take place this Friday during Wisła Kraków's first-team league match against Termalica.

We encourage fans to come and congratulate the Wisła BF players and staff on their trophies, which they will present to the public in just a few days.

Congratulations once again on winning the double crown!