Arka Gdynia suffered a crushing 2-4 defeat to Olimpia Grudziądz in the third pre‑season friendly ahead of the Betclic 1. liga campaign, highlighting the club's defensive woes. The match took place in Człuchów, and the visitors took the lead after just two minutes from a corner.

What happened on the pitch?

In the first half Olimpia opened the scoring in the 2nd minute when Szymon Michalski headed a corner past goalkeeper Dawid Arndt. Two minutes later Dawid Olejarka doubled the lead after a swift move. Arka responded in the 15th minute, with Vladislavs Gutkovskis converting a penalty to spark hope. However, after the break Olejarka scored again and Alex Kolasa, an Arka academy product, added a second‑half goal, leaving the hosts trailing 1-4 at halftime.

Why was Leon Madej the only scorer for Arka?

Following seven substitutions by coach Marek Jarolim, the 20‑year‑old test‑player Leon Madej from Widzew Łódź entered the field. Madej seized a blocked shot from Konrad Gruszkowski in the 60th minute, delivering Arka's sole goal of the second half. Despite Arka dominating possession later, they could not erase the deficit as the defence continued to leak goals.

What does the loss mean for the season?

The result does not change the fact that Arka Gdynia sits 17th in the Ekstraklasa with 36 points after 34 games (9W‑9D‑16L) and a recent form of LLDDL – three straight defeats. The club has scored 34 goals while conceding 61, a -27 goal difference. They are 24 points behind leaders Lech Poznań. The last official league match ended in a 0‑3 loss to Raków Częstochowa on 2026‑05‑23. These numbers underline that every upcoming friendly is a chance to tweak tactics before the season starts.

What comes next after the Człuchów friendly?

Organisers have scheduled another test match against local side Piast, featuring fourth‑division reserves and a broad first‑team squad. Fans, including Michał Nalepa who attended, are hoping for the return of key players. Coach Jarolim will likely experiment with new defensive setups to curb the flood of goals. For supporters, the priority is whether Arka can reverse the trend before the league opens and avoid a relegation battle.