Stal Mielec

This article is about the Polish football club. For the handball team, seeSPR Stal Mielec.

Stal Mielec

Full name	FKS Stal Mielec
Nickname(s)	Biało-niebiescy (White-blues)
Founded	10 April 1939(1939-04-10)
Ground	Stadion Miejski w Mielcu
Capacity	7,000
Chairman	Jacek Klimek
Manager	Kamil Kiereś
League	Ekstraklasa
2023–24	Ekstraklasa, 11th of 18
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours Third colours

FKS Stal Mielec(Polish pronunciation:[ˈstalˈmjɛlɛt͡s]) is a Polishfootballclub based inMielec,Poland. The team competes in theEkstraklasa,the top level of thePolish football league system.

The club was established on 10 April 1939. Historically, the club has enjoyed great successes within Poland's top division, winning the title in 1973 and 1976, but had undergone significant management changes and financial difficulties within the past two decades, which forced the club from participation in the Poland's top league. After winning the third-tierII ligatitle in 2016, Stal Mielec was promoted toI liga.After finishing first in the I liga in 2020, Stal Mielec was promoted to theEkstraklasafor the first time since the 1995–96 season.

Old Ground:Stadion Miejski w Mielcu

Old Ground:Stadion Miejski w Mielcu

History

Naming history

• 1939 – Klub Sportowy PZL Mielec
• 1946 – Robotniczy Klub Sportowy PZL Zryw Mielec
• 1948 – Związkowy Klub Sportowy Metalowców PZL Mielec
• 1949 – Związkowy Klub Sportowy Stal Mielec
• 1950 – Koło Sportowe Stal przy Wytwórni Sprzętu Komunikacyjnego Mielec
• 1957 – Fabryczny Klub Sportowy Stal Mielec
• 1977 – Fabryczny Klub Sportowy PZL Stal Mielec
• 1995 – Autonomiczna Sekcja Piłki Nożnej FKS PZL Stal Mielec
• 1997 – Mielecki Klub Piłkarski Stal Mielec
• 1998 – Mielecki Klub Piłkarski Lobo Stal Mielec
• 1999 – Mielecki Klub Piłkarski Stal Mielec
• 2002 – Klub Sportowy Stal Mielec
• 2003 – Klub Sportowy FKS Stal Mielec

1939–1945 - the beginning and interwar period

The football club was one of the first two (next to the volleyball club) at the PZL Mielec, established in 1939. The team was made up of players playing in other clubs in Mielec and employees of thePZL,an aerospace company. In the first match played, the team defeated theGymnastic Society "Sokół" Mielecwith 4–1 victory. Three more matches were played against Dzikovia Tarnobrzeg (2–1), Metal Tarnów (3–1) and a team made up of players from an ammunition factory inNowa Dęba(6–1). The match againstOkęcie Warszawaplanned for September did not take place, because World War II started and any sports games were forbidden. However, the matches were played illegally in the meadows beyond the communal forest and in other towns (includingDębica,Kolbuszowa,Sandomierz). The only official match was played against a German military unit and ended with the score 1–2.

Honours

League

• Ekstraklasa
  • Champions:1972–73,1975–76
  • Runners-up:1974–75
• I liga
  • Champions:1960, 1984–85, 1987–88
• II liga
  • Champions:1955, 1968–69, 2015–16
• III liga
  • Champions:2012–13 (group Lublin–Subcarpathia)
• V liga
  • Champions:1998–99
• Klasa A
  • Champions:1950, 1954
• Klasa B
  • Champions:1949

Cup

• Polish Cup
  • Runners-up: 1975–76

Europe

• European Cup
  • First round:1973–74,1976–77
• UEFA Cup
  • Quarter-finalists:1975–76
  • First round:1979–80,1982–83

Youth teams

• Polish U-19 Championship
  • Runners-up: 1964, 2007
• Polish U-17 Championship
  • Champions:2007
  • Runners-up: 1996, 2012

Stadium

Main article:Stadion Miejski (Mielec)

New Ground:Stadion Miejski w Mielcu

The construction of the club's current stadium,Stadion Miejski w Mielcu,was concluded in 1953. The stadium underwent a major renovation, completed in 2013. It maintains a seating capacity for 7,000 spectators. Before the 2013 renovation, it maintained seating capacity for 30,000 spectators, and hosted numerousEuropean Champions Cup,UEFA Cup,andPoland national teammatches, includingFIFA World CupandUEFA European Championshipqualifiers.

Individual player awards

• Ekstraklasatop goalscorer
  • 1973 -Grzegorz Lato- 13 goals
  • 1975 - Grzegorz Lato - 19 goals
  • 1995 - Bogusław Cygan - 16 goals

• Piłka nożna magazine plebiscite
  • Player of the Year
    • 1976 -Henryk Kasperczak
    • 1977 - Grzegorz Lato
  • Newcomer of the Year
    • 1975 - Zbigniew Hnatio
    • 1978 - Włodzimierz Ciołek

• Award given byPrzegląd Sportowy
  • Polish Athlete of the Year
    • 1974 - 4th place - Grzegorz Lato
    • 1977 - 5th place - Grzegorz Lato

• Award given bySport
  • Player of the Year
  • 1974 - Grzegorz Lato
    • 1976 - Henryk Kasperczak
    • 1977 - Grzegorz Lato

• Award given byTempo
  • Goalkeeper of the Year
    • 1979 - Zygmunt Kukla

Reserves

Stal Mielec II

League	IV liga Subcarpathia
2023–24	Regional league Dębica,1st of 16 (promoted)
Website	Club website

The club operates a reserve team which currently plays in theSubcarpathiagroup of theIV liga,the fifth tier of the league pyramid. During the 2020–21 season, a third team participated in the regional league, as well as the SubcarpathianRzeszów–DębicaPolish Cupedition.

Current squad

As of 2 July 2024

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules.Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
1	GK	POL	Mateusz Kochalski
3	DF	NED	Bert Esselink
4	DF	POL	Kamil Pajnowski
5	DF	ROU	Marco Ehmann
8	MF	JPN	Koki Hinokio
10	MF	POL	Maciej Domański
11	MF	POL	Krzysztof Wołkowicz
12	GK	POL	Mateusz Dudek
13	GK	POL	Konrad Jałocha
16	MF	MLT	Matthew Guillaumier
17	FW	BLR	Ilya Shkurin
18	MF	POL	Piotr Wlazło
21	DF	POL	Mateusz Matras

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
22	MF	POR	Rafael Santos
23	DF	POL	Krystian Getinger(captain)
25	MF	POL	Łukasz Wolsztyński
27	DF	LVA	Alvis Jaunzems
34	MF	POL	Alex Cetnar
36	MF	POL	Szymon Gierlach
37	MF	POL	Mateusz Stępień
—	FW	ISR	Ravve Assayag
—	MF	POL	Fryderyk Gerbowski
—	GK	POL	Jakub Mądrzyk(on loan fromRaków Częstochowa)
—	DF	GER	Marvin Senger
—	MF	POL	Dawid Tkacz(on loan fromWidzew Łódź)

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules.Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	MF	POL	David Poreba(atChicago Fire FC IIuntil 31 December 2024)

Notable players

The players below played for their respective countries at any point during their career.

Notable Polish players Jan Domarski,player ofPoland national football team Michał Gliwa,goalkeeper ofPoland national football team Witold Karaś,player ofPoland national football team Henryk Kasperczak,player ofPoland national football team,former coach ofWisła KrakówandKavala F.C. Dariusz Kubicki,player ofPoland national football team Zygmunt Kukla,goalkeeper ofPoland national football team(1978–1980) Grzegorz Lato,player ofPoland national football team,Golden Shoewinner of the1974 World Cupwith 7 goals; former President of thePolish Football Association Radosław Majecki,goalkeeper ofPoland national football team Andrzej Szarmach,player ofPoland national football team Bogusław Wyparło,goalkeeper ofPoland national football team Michał Żyro,player ofPoland national football team

Notable foreign players Said Hamulić,player ofBosnia and Herzegovina national football team Bozhidar Chorbadzhiyski,player ofBulgaria national football team Bogdan Vaštšuk,player ofEstonia national football team Petteri Forsell,player ofFinland national football team Albin Granlund,player ofFinland national football team Kai Meriluoto,player ofFinland national football team Rauno Sappinen,player ofFinland national football team Edgar Bernhardt,player ofKyrgyzstan national football team Alvis Jaunzems,player ofLatvia national football team Dominykas Barauskas,player ofLithuania national football team Matthew Guillaumier,player ofMalta national football team Martin Dobrotka,player ofSlovakia national football team

Managers

• Stanisław Maurer(1947–1948)
• Rudolf Pirych(1948–1952)
• Eustachy Poticha(1952–1953)
• Antoni Brzeżańczyk(1954–1956)
• Michał Matyas(1957–1958)
• Antoni Brzeżańczyk(1959–1960)
• Henryk Skromny(1961)
• Czesław Suszczyk(1962)
• Michał Matyas(1962–1963)
• Stanisław Malczyk(1963–1964)
• Otton Opiełka(1964)
• Władysław Lemiszko(1964–1965)
• Konrad Jędryka(1966–1967)
• Andrzej Gajewski(1968–1972)
• Károly Kontha(1973)
• Aleksander Brożyniak(1973–1974)
• Zenon Książek(1974–1975)
• Edmund Zientara(1975–1977)
• Alfred Gazda(1977)
• Konstanty Pawlikaniec(1977–1978)
• Zenon Książek(1978–1980)
• Mieczysław Kruk(1980–1981)
• Józef Walczak(1981–1982)
• Witold Karaś(1982)
• Jacek MachcińskiandMarian Kosiński(1982–1983)
• Henryk Stroniarz(1983–1984)
• Włodzimierz Gąsior(1984–1985)
• Ryszard Latawiec(1985–1986)
• Zenon Książek(1986–1987)
• Włodzimierz Gąsior(1987–1990)
• Marian Kosiński(1990)
• Włodzimierz Gąsior(1990–1991)
• Grzegorz Lato(1991–1993)
• Witold Karaś(1993)
• Franciszek Smuda(1993–1995)
• Jan Złomańczuk(1995)
• Grzegorz Lato(1996–1997)
• Jerzy Płaneta(1998)
• Marek Chamielec(1999)
• Jerzy Płaneta(1999–2000)
• Witold Karaś(2000)
• Roman Gruszecki(2000–2001)
• Włodzimierz Gąsior(2001)
• Marek Lorenc(2001)
• Krzysztof Łętocha(2001–2002)
• Jacek Klisiewicz(2002)
• Włodzimierz Gąsior(2003–2006)
• Tomasz Tułacz(2006)
• Włodzimierz Gąsior(2006–2007)
• Janusz Białek(2007)
• Zbigniew Hariasz(2007)
• Andrzej Jaskot(2008)
• Grzegorz Wcisło(2008–2009)
• Zbigniew Hariasz(2009)
• Janusz Białek(2009)
• Zbigniew Hariasz(2009–2010)
• Grzegorz Wcisło(2010)
• Mariusz Łuc(2010)
• Tomasz Tułacz(2011–2012)
• Roman Gruszecki(2012)
• Włodzimierz Gąsior(2012–2014)
• Rafał Wójcik(2014)
• Janusz Białek(2014)
• Rafał Wójcik(2014)
• Janusz Białek(2014–2016)
• Maciej Serafiński(2016)
• Zbigniew Smółka(2016–2018)
• Artur Skowronek(2018–2019)
• Dariusz Marzec(2019–2020)
• Dariusz Skrzypczak(2020)
• Leszek Ojrzyński(2020–2021)
• Włodzimierz Gąsior(2021)
• Adam Majewski(2021–2023)
• Kamil Kiereś(2023–)

See also

• Football in Poland
• List of football teams
• Champions' Cup/League
• UEFA Cup

External links

• Official website
• Stal Mielecat the 90minut.pl website(in Polish)