Arka Gdynia
Arka Gdynia, after securing a victory against Opole 1:0 during the inauguration of Betclic 1. League and preparing for their first home game on August 1st against Stal Rzeszów (who were the weakest team in the previous round), has reignited hopes among fans that the club's promise to return to Ekstraklasa within a year is not unfounded. Looking at history, Arka Gdynia has experienced degradations five times before but has managed to return twice after just one season.
The team underwent significant changes, including the appointment of a new Czech coach, Marek Jarolim, and the addition of a sports director, Tomasz Wichniarek, and scouting chief, Martin Pasieka. The club is also preparing for the vacancy left by the academy director Dariusz Pasieka, who will likely have his responsibilities divided among two people due to an increase in youth teams.
The match against Opole was not particularly attractive but showed that the team has a new look with only Dawid Gojny and Dawid Kocyła having important contracts. Negotiations are ongoing for other players.
Arka Gdynia - kiedy była degradowana i po ilu latach wracała do ekstraklasy
Arka Gdynia has faced degradations five times in the past, with the last one occurring in 2020. The club returned to Ekstraklasa after a period of five years each time it was relegated. Notably, the most recent return came in 2016 under Grzegorz Niciński's management, who led the team to the Puchar Polski title one year later.
The longest period without being in Ekstraklasa lasted from 1982 to 2005, which is a total of 23 seasons. However, Arka Gdynia managed to return twice after just one season: once after the degradations in the 1970s and again in 2008 following a controversial relegation due to corruption charges.
The club's current management hopes that with the new team structure and strategies, they can achieve their goal of returning to Ekstraklasa next year.
