Club History

The Beginnings of the White Star (1906)

The origins of the White Star date back to 1906. The exact date of the club's founding is unknown, but – according to Roman Wilczyński's memoirs – the originator of Wisła's creation was Professor Tadeusz Łopuszański , who presented the idea to his students in the spring of that year.

The first press mentions appear in the autumn of 1906, during the "Autumn Tournament" organized by Dr. Tadeusz Konczyński. Wisła, now under its current name, participated, led by Captain Józef Szkolnikowski . Also competing in the same tournament was the Red team, led by Władysław Jenker , which, according to Wilhelm Cepurski, was also founded in 1906.

The Reds later merged with Wisła, bringing the club's red jerseys, which remain its trademark to this day. As Jan Weyssenhoff recalls, the red jerseys were initially adorned with a blue star, which was later replaced by a single white star.

Vistula in the shadow of wars and independence

The outbreak of World War I led to the suspension of Wisła's activities for five years. The club's grounds were placed at the disposal of the forming Polish Legions under the command of Józef Piłsudski , and Wisła players themselves eagerly joined their ranks.

In the pioneering period of its activity, over the course of eight years, Wisła played 123 friendly matches :

• 66 wins
• 15 draws
• 43 defeats

81 players took to the pitch then.

After Poland regained independence, football competition was based on a system of districts, the winners of which fought for the national championship.

The first trophies and the birth of the league

In 1926, Wisła Kraków won the Polish Cup – its only one of the interwar period. In December of that same year, twelve clubs voted to establish the Polish Football League . Wisła's first historic season ended with a championship.

Wisła repeated this success in the following season, and in both cases the top scorer was the legendary Henryk Reyman .

Occupation and post-war reconstruction

During World War II, the White Star players successfully competed in the occupation-era Kraków championships. The symbolic moment of this new beginning came on January 28, 1945 , when the bugle call from St. Mary's Tower announced the start of the Wisła-Cracovia derby in the liberated city.

In 1949 and 1950, Wisła won the Polish championship again. In 1951, the title was denied to Kraków solely due to regulations – the Polish Cup winner, Ruch Chorzów , was crowned champion, defeating Wisła in the final.

A journey through ups and downs (1967–1997)

The next success came in 1967 , when Wisła won the Polish Cup, making their debut in the European Cup Winners' Cup . The club had to wait for their next trophy until 1978 , when, under Orest Lenczyk, they won the national championship.

The qualification to the European Cup resulted in a memorable quarter-final, in which Wisła overtook, among others, Club Brugge and Zbrojovka Brno , only losing to Malmö FF .

The 1980s brought regression – in 1985, Wisła was relegated from the top league and spent four seasons playing one tier below. The following years were also unstable – in 1994, the club suffered relegation again.

The breakthrough came after promotion in 1996 and the takeover of the club's shares in 1997 by Bogusław Cupiał , which ushered in a new era.

Golden years and European ambitions (1999–2011)

In the years 1999–2011 Wisła Kraków won:

• 8 Polish Championship titles
• 2 Polish Cups
• 1st Polish Super Cup

The White Star also competed successfully in Europe, eliminating Real Zaragoza , Schalke 04 , and AC Parma , among others. Their primary goal was to qualify for the Champions League, but they were faced with such powerhouses as Real Madrid , Inter Milan , and FC Barcelona , ​​whom Wisła defeated 1-0 at Reymont Stadium in a memorable match.

After the end of the so-called "Tele-Fonika era", in the summer of 2016 the club returned to the Wisła Sports Society .

The new league reality and a test of character

Since the introduction of the ESA-37 system in 2013, Wisła has almost continuously finished in the top eight of the Ekstraklasa. The exception was the 2015/16 season, which ended with a victory in the relegation group.

In the 2017/18 season, Wisła fought for European cups until the last round, but the defeat to Górnik Zabrze ruined those plans.

The 2018 crisis and the power of community

In December 2018, Wisła found itself on the brink of bankruptcy. The club survived thanks to the solidarity of the entire community:

• support of Jakub Błaszczykowski ,
• the involvement of Jarosław Królewski and Tomasz Jażdżyński ,
• the determination of employees with CEO Rafał Wisłocki ,
• and the unprecedented attitude of the fans.

Wisła started the spring round of the 2018/19 season with its captain returning "home" – Kuba Błaszczykowski .

New ownership chapter

In May 2022, Wisła was relegated from the Ekstraklasa for the fourth time in its history. From the 2022/2023 season, it will compete in the second tier.

On December 20, 2022, Jarosław Królewski acquired 53.69% of TS Wisła Kraków SA shares , becoming the club's majority shareholder. Co-owners include Jakub Błaszczykowski, Władysław Nowak, Adam Adamczyk, and Adam Łanoszka .

Tradition, memory and further successes

At the beginning of the 2023/2024 season, during the match against Stal Rzeszów, the official end of Kuba Błaszczykowski's career took place, preceded by a meeting with fans in the Fanshop at R22.

In September 2023 , at the initiative of Krzysztof Gaweł , Legends Corner was opened – a place commemorating the rich history of Wisła, full of souvenirs and meetings with club legends.

Polish Cup 2024 – proof of the continuity of history

Despite failing to advance to the Ekstraklasa, Wisła Kraków won the Polish Cup for the fifth time in its history on May 2, 2024. In the final at the PGE National Stadium in Warsaw, the White Star defeated Pogoń Szczecin 2-1 , providing fans with unforgettable emotions.