Lechia Gdansk

What followed was not a straight line. In 1995/96 Lechia merged with Olimpia Poznań, and two years later, after reaching the 1997/98 cup final, it merged again, this time with local rivals Polonia Gdańsk. The club that emerged from those mergers had to start again too — from the sixth tier of Polish football in 2001.

The rebuilding shows most clearly at the ground. The old stadium was torn down and replaced between 2008 and 2011 for the Euro 2012 finals, opening on 14 August 2011 as what's now called Polsat Plus Arena Gdańsk, seated for 41,620.

Lechia has never won the Polish title — third place, in 1956 and again in 2018/19, is as close as it has come. The cup has been kinder: two wins, in 1982/83 and 2018/19, either side of a heavy 0-5 final defeat to Legia Warsaw back in 1955 and a penalty-shootout loss to Krakovia in 2019/20. The 1950s side that reached that first final and finished third in the league is remembered through Roman Korynt.

Between those cup runs, Lechia has spent long stretches rebuilding from the second tier — champions there in 1983/84, 2007/08 and again in 2023/24.