Wisła Kraków's final position on the match against Śląsk Wrocław

Acting on behalf of Towarzystwo Sportsowe Wisła Kraków Spółka Akcyjna with its registered office and address in Kraków (30-059) at 20 Reymonta Street, entered into the Register of Entrepreneurs of the National Court Register under number: 0000130748, Tax Identification Number (NIP): 6771022149, whose registration files are kept by the District Court for Kraków-Śródmieście in Kraków, 11th Commercial Division of the National Court Register, with the share capital of PLN 89 162 300.00 (fully paid up), e-mail address: sekretariat@wislakrakow.com (hereinafter referred to as the " Club " or " Wisła Kraków "), I hereby once again present the Club's position regarding the match of the 24th round of the Betclic 1. Liga scheduled between Śląsk Wrocław and Wisła Kraków on 7 March 2026 at 12:00 p.m. 17.30 (hereinafter referred to as the " Match ").

After a detailed analysis of the situation, taking into account the course of talks held with the participation of representatives of the Polish Football Association, representatives of the First Football League and Ekstraklasa SA, representatives of clubs, proxies and other entities involved in finding a solution enabling the conduct of the Match in a manner consistent with applicable regulations and safety rules, I hereby inform you that the Wisła Kraków team will not appear at the Match to be played today in Wrocław.

This decision was made solely as a result of actions and organisational decisions taken by WKS Śląsk Wrocław SA with its registered office in Wrocław (hereinafter referred to as " Śląsk Wrocław "), which led to a situation that made it impossible to conduct the Match in conditions ensuring the safety of the participants of the sporting event and with respect for the basic principles of organisation of Betclic 1st League competitions.

Wisła Kraków's priority remains ensuring the safety and health of its players, coaching staff, Club employees, and all members of the Club delegation. This obligation is fundamental and constitutes one of the fundamental principles of a responsible sports organization and, above all, of the Club as an employer. Protecting the lives and health of individuals performing professional duties for Wisła Kraków cannot be overridden or compromised by organizational, sporting, or image considerations.

The nature of the duties entrusted to the Club's players and employees, as well as the specific nature of their work—related to participation in events of large organizational and social importance—do not justify imposing on them the obligation to perform work in conditions that may pose a real, direct, or foreseeable threat to their safety. In particular, it is unacceptable to make organizational decisions that could lead to exposing employees to situations of increased risk to their health or life, especially in circumstances where there are reasonable doubts about the level of safety at the Match.

It should be clearly emphasized that the liability of a mass event organizer under the provisions of the Act of 20 March 2009 on the Safety of Mass Events does not relieve Wisła Kraków of the employer's liability towards its own employees. These obligations are independent and concurrent. The fact that a specific entity (Śląsk Wrocław) serves as the event organizer does not eliminate or limit the employer's (Wisła Kraków's) obligation to ensure safe working conditions for those employed by it or performing duties on its behalf.

Taking actions that could expose employees to potential threats would be contrary to both applicable law and the fundamental principles of due diligence required of any business entity. In a situation where there are objective indications of an increased risk of events that may threaten the safety of Match participants, Wisła Kraków is obligated to take preventative measures, rather than ignore potential threats.

The legal basis for Wisła Kraków’s decision is in particular:

1. Article 66, paragraph 1 of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland, guaranteeing everyone the right to safe and hygienic working conditions,
2. Article 15 of the Labor Code, which states that the employer is obliged to provide employees with safe and hygienic working conditions,
3. Article 94, point 4 of the Labour Code, which imposes on the employer the obligation to organise work in a way that ensures safe and hygienic working conditions,
4. Article 207 of the Labour Code, according to which the employer is responsible for the state of occupational health and safety at the workplace and is obliged to protect the health and life of employees by ensuring safe working conditions with appropriate use of the achievements of science and technology.

In light of the above legal regulations, employers not only have the right, but above all the obligation, to refrain from making decisions that could expose employees to unjustified risk. This obligation is absolute and cannot be waived or limited by organizational, sporting, or commercial considerations. Consequently, the actions taken by Wisła Kraków constitute the only rational response to the situation, consistent with applicable law. Protecting the health and lives of the Club's employees remains paramount and cannot be compromised or compromised over other interests related to organizing a sporting event.

Wisła Kraków clearly states that Śląsk Wrocław, as the Match organizer, bears full responsibility for this situation, acting through its management bodies – in particular, the President of the Management Board, who arbitrarily and unjustifiably refused to accept an organized group of Wisła Kraków fans. This decision was made without providing any specific factual or legal basis that could justify such far-reaching interference with the Match's organization. At the same time, information provided on March 6, 2026, by the Wrocław Municipal Police Headquarters clearly indicates that there were no contraindications to playing the Match with the participation of Wisła Kraków fans, which further confirms that the decision made by Śląsk Wrocław's authorities was not based, for example, on the assessment of the relevant services responsible for mass event security .

The failure of the Wisła Kraków team to appear at the Match is not a result of a refusal to play the Match, but is a direct consequence of the actions of the Match organiser, i.e. WKS Śląsk Wrocław SA and the President of the Management Board of Śląsk Wrocław, which made it impossible to conduct the match in conditions consistent with the applicable regulations of the Polish Football Association and basic safety principles.

During the talks, representatives of Wisła Kraków, as well as other involved entities, including representatives of the Polish Football Association, presented a number of available solutions aimed at enabling the Match to be played safely and in accordance with the rules of sports competition, including:

• playing the Match at a different time with the participation of fans of both teams,
• developing organizational solutions to minimize potential risks.

However, all the proposals presented were unequivocally rejected by the President of Śląsk Wrocław, who refused to engage in any further talks on this matter.

Of particular concern are the circumstances in which, according to information provided during direct conversations between the President of the Management Board of Wisła Kraków, the President of the Management Board of Śląsk Wrocław, and the President of the Polish Football Association (PZPN), this decision was allegedly made under the influence of Śląsk Wrocław fan groups. This circumstance was personally confirmed by the President of the Management Board of Śląsk Wrocław, and its veracity was subsequently confirmed by both PZPN representatives in subsequent public statements and by the President of the Management Board of Wisła Kraków. This type of situation clearly undermines the standards of management of a sports club and the organization of mass events. Wisła Kraków will not accept a situation in which the President of the Management Board of a professional football club makes organizational decisions regarding a league match under pressure or under the influence of fan groups, instead of based on applicable regulations, the positions of the relevant services, and an objective risk assessment. This type of decision-making mechanism undermines not only management standards but also the safety of participants in the sporting event and the integrity of the competition.

Therefore, the Club strongly opposes any attempt to qualify this situation as grounds for imposing a walkover sanction on Wisła Kraków. Śląsk Wrocław, as the Match organizer, is responsible for this situation, acting through its authorities, in particular the President of the Management Board, who made and upheld the decision to refuse to accept the organized group of Wisła Kraków fans. There can be no doubt that responsibility for organizing a sporting event of this magnitude rests with the host club and its governing bodies, not with the fan community. If organizational decisions were indeed made under the influence of such groups, this circumstance further burdens Śląsk Wrocław and its President of the Management Board and requires a clear assessment by the relevant Polish Football Association (PZPN) bodies.

It should be reiterated here that the Polish Football Association – as the entity responsible for the proper conduct of competitions and the enforcement of association regulations – has a broad range of powers to undertake both organizational and preventive measures in situations that may jeopardize the proper organization of sports competitions. These powers include, in particular:

• the possibility of changing the venue of the match,
• setting a new date for the competition,
• the organizer's obligation to ensure conditions consistent with the regulations of the Polish Football Association,
• making organizational or disciplinary decisions aimed at restoring the status in accordance with applicable regulations.

In the light of the applicable regulations of the Polish Football Association – in particular:

• Resolution No. II/85 of 20 February 2013 of the Management Board of the Polish Football Association,
• Resolution No. IX/140 of 3 and 7 July 2008 of the Management Board of the Polish Football Association,
• Regulations for the Championship Competition of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Leagues for the 2025/2026 season,
• Disciplinary Regulations of the Polish Football Association

– there is no doubt that the Polish Football Association has real legal instruments allowing it to react in particularly justified situations, when it is required by the good of the competition, the safety of participants in a sporting event or the need to ensure equal treatment of clubs participating in a sporting competition.

Of particular importance in this regard is Article 3, Section 2 of the Regulations for the Championship Competitions of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Leagues for the 2025/2026 Season, which grants the relevant authorities of the Polish Football Association the ability to intervene in the course of the competition in particularly justified situations. This provision provides an instrument allowing for preventive measures to be taken to prevent situations that could lead to a violation of the competition organization rules or a threat to the safety of competition participants. In the opinion of Wisła Kraków, this situation is a classic example of a particularly justified case in which the relevant authorities of the Polish Football Association not only have the authority to take appropriate action but also – guided by the good of the competition and the obligation to ensure the safety of participants – should exercise this authority.

Also significant is the fact that despite Śląsk Wrocław's declared refusal to admit an authorized group of visiting fans, the relevant authorities – according to information available to the Club – did not change the Match's classification, and the event remains a high-risk match. This means that even after eliminating the participation of the organized group of Wisła Kraków fans, the relevant authorities did not consider the risk level to have decreased enough to justify changing the classification of the event. This circumstance further highlights the inconsistency between Śląsk Wrocław's position and the assessments of the situation made by security agencies. Since the refusal to admit Wisła Kraków fans did not lead to a change in the Match's classification, it is difficult to conclude that this decision constituted a real and adequate measure to eliminate the threats cited by the Match organizer.

Śląsk Wrocław's decision to refuse admission to an organized group of Wisła Kraków fans is therefore arbitrary, internally contradictory, and lacks rational justification. On the one hand, the Match Organizer points to an allegedly increased level of risk associated with antagonism within the fan community, while on the other, it declares the possibility of conducting the event safely. This argument is obviously inconsistent and raises serious doubts about the actual assessment of the event's safety level. It should be noted that Tarczyński Arena Wrocław has recently hosted matches classified as high-risk with the participation of an organized group of visiting fans, including Odra Opole, which were conducted in compliance with appropriate safety procedures and with the participation of fans of both teams. Consequently, the refusal to allow an authorized group of Wisła Kraków fans to participate in the Match should be considered an unjustified decision and contrary to the rules of organizing league competitions.

In connection with the above, Wisła Kraków requests that the Polish Football Association conduct a comprehensive substantive audit of Śląsk Wrocław, covering in particular:

• the decision-making process regarding the organization of the Match,
• the method of conducting risk analysis by the Match organizer,
• compliance of the actions of the Śląsk Wrocław authorities with the applicable PZPN regulations.

At the same time, Wisła Kraków indicates that any potential assessment of the liability of individual entities may be made later in the proceedings by the appropriate disciplinary bodies of the Polish Football Association, in particular the Polish Football Association Disciplinary Committee. However, this does not prevent the Polish Football Association from taking preventive measures at this stage to ensure the proper conduct of Betclic 1st League matches and protect the safety of participants in sporting events.

Wisła Kraków remains ready to cooperate with the Polish Football Association in order to work out a solution enabling the Match to be played at another date, in conditions that guarantee the safety of all participants of the sporting event and with respect for the rules of sports competition.

It should be emphasized once again that Śląsk Wrocław, in refusing to accommodate the organized group of Wisła Kraków fans, did not provide any specific, actual, and duly justified factual or legal reason that could justify such a decision. Consequently, the situation should be deemed to constitute a particularly justified case within the meaning of Article 3, Section 2, second sentence, of the Regulations for the Championship Competitions of the 1st League, 2nd League, and 3rd League. There were no contraindications to playing the Match with the participation of Wisła Kraków fans.

From Wisła Kraków's perspective, the safety of the first team players, coaching staff, and the entire club delegation during their stay in Wrocław and during the Match itself is of paramount importance. In a situation where the event organizer indicates heightened tensions within the fan community and an increased likelihood of incidents disrupting public order, ensuring the safety of event participants requires a clear, coherent, and objectively based assessment of the actual risk level and measures to mitigate it. It is important to note that with the escalation of current events, the emotions of the host team's fans could pose a real threat to the peaceful and safe conduct of the Match, including for the players, coaching staff, employees, and the entire Wisła Kraków delegation. Since Śląsk Wrocław claims it is unable to ensure safety between a group of approximately 1,000 Wisła Kraków fans and the host team, the fundamental question arises as to how it intends to ensure the safety of the Club's delegation amidst the home crowd of thousands, who, according to reports, are characterized by a particularly high level of emotion. This contradiction further confirms that the organizer's risk assessment is inconsistent, and the safety of the Wisła Kraków delegation has not been convincingly guaranteed.

It is important to emphasize that the responsibility of the organizer of a mass event includes not only assessing the level of risk, but also properly preparing the sports facility and stadium infrastructure to enable the safe conduct of the event with the participation of players, club delegations, and all match participants. In the opinion of Wisła Kraków, the organizational measures taken by Śląsk Wrocław do not provide a basis for concluding that the facility and infrastructure of the event were prepared in a manner ensuring the full safety of its participants.

Wisła Kraków would also like to emphasize that it is not refusing to play the Match and remains fully prepared to conduct it on the date designated by the relevant competition authorities, provided that conditions are consistent with the Polish Football Association regulations and safety standards applicable in professional football. Considering the overall circumstances, Wisła Kraków expects the relevant authorities of the Polish Football Association to immediately take action appropriate to the gravity of the situation, both organizationally and disciplinarily. This state of affairs cannot be left without a clear response if the safety of sporting event participants, the integrity of competitions, and the uniform application of applicable regulations are to remain paramount.

Wisła Kraków remains convinced that league competitions should be conducted in a transparent, predictable manner, and based on the uniform application of applicable regulations to all participants. The club expects that the situation will be thoroughly analyzed by the relevant authorities of the Polish Football Association, and that any decisions made will serve both to protect the safety of participants in sporting events and to maintain the integrity and credibility of league competitions.

Jarosław the Royal
President of the Management Board of TS Wisła Kraków SA

For the attention of:

• Polish Football Association
• WKS Śląsk Wrocław SA
• Disciplinary Spokesman of the Polish Football Association
• Ombudsman for the Protection of Trade Union Law of the Polish Football Association
• The Polish Football Association Ethics Commissioner
• Małopolska Football Association
• Lower Silesian Football Association
• National Prosecutor's Office
• Ministry of Sport and Tourism
• Mayor of the City of Krakow
• Mayor of Wrocław
• Wrocław City Hall
• National Labor Inspectorate – Chief Labor Inspectorate
• Office of Competition and Consumer Protection
• Polish Society of Anti-Discrimination Law
• Sport Tolerance Fair Play Foundation
• Pro Humanum Association
  

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All statements and news related to the match against Śląsk Wrocław can be found at the link .