Arka Gdynia will play a historic Centenary Match against Swedish side IFK Göteborg. The friendly is scheduled for Saturday, 3 October at 19:00 local time at the Stadion Miejski w Gdyni and forms part of Gdynia's 100th-anniversary celebrations.
It also marks the first match under new head coach Tomasz Grzegorczyk, who took charge at the start of the week. Arka return from a training camp in Gniewino and currently sit 12th in the I Liga table with 11 points. The club will want to use this match to improve their form, especially after the last five matchdays yielded just five points, resulting in a record of one win, two draws, and two defeats. The next major test in the fixtures list is a league clash with Polonia Warszawa just a week later.
Historical backdrop and free entry
The choice of opponent was deliberate. Club president Wojciech Pertkiewicz explained the key was a historical link to Swedish colours. The president said they talked with two clubs in Sweden, but quickly switched to IFK Göteborg. In the 1950s, Arka's athletics section cooperated with a Swedish pastor, organising competitions for Swedish sailors, and the club received yellow-and-blue kits at the time.
To mark the centenary, Gdynia residents with a Resident Card can claim free tickets via the city's portal. Before the match, from 16:00, a free-entry sports fest will be held on the parking lot opposite Olimpijska Street.
Showpiece and Swedish opponents
At halftime, spectators will be treated to a special laser show called "Lord of Lasers," which will depict the history of Gdynia and sport, having won three ILDA Awards in the USA. Arka's opponents, IFK Göteborg, are 18-time Swedish champions and two-time UEFA Cup winners. This season in the Allsvenskan they are in 9th place, having lost only two of their last eleven matches.
For Arka, whose league stats show a need for greater effectiveness, this is a chance to build momentum ahead of a key home fixture against Polonia Warszawa on 10 October. The match against Göteborg will be broadcast on TVP 3 Gdańsk from 18:50. For the new coach, it will be the first chance to observe the entire squad in a match situation.
