After the fall round, Lechia Gdańsk are in a position that gives them the right to play in the play-offs for promotion to the best league in Poland. And although there are still many rounds to go before the end of the season, in Gdańsk they are already thinking about organising a potential play-off match, and it is more than complicated.

All because of a Polish star

It has been known for several months that on 1 and 2 June 2024, Polsat Plus Arena Gdańsk, Lechia Gdańsk's home venue, will host two concerts by Dawid Podsiadło, a singer who fills the biggest stadiums in Poland. Of course, this means that the event organisers have exclusive use of the venue on this date. There would be nothing strange about this, were it not for the fact that at the same time the playoffs for promotion to the Ekstraklasa are scheduled, in which, at least for the moment, Lechia will play. Could it be that the operator and owner of the stadium, the Arena Gdańsk company, when renting the stadium to the organisers of the Dawid Podsiadło concert, did not believe in Lechia's success, which would undoubtedly be playing in the play-offs?

The matter has been known for a long time; already at the beginning of the season, fans wondered what would happen if Lechia actually made it into the top six. Some very creative proposals were even made, for example that the concert should be interrupted by individual halves of the play-off match or take place at halftime... Lechia, however, has a different solution for this. While supporters of the team and fans of the pop star can't wait to get to the stadium, others choose online entertainment such as Gry Hazardowe Za Darmo, where they find a large selection of games for free.

© Grzegorz Kaliciak

A promotion match at a historic venue?

The club has published a statement regarding this issue. Lechia Gdańsk S.A., together with the operator Polsat Plus Arena Gdańsk, are working together to ensure the optimal organisation of a potential barrage match. Our priority is to provide excellent conditions for both the team and the fans. We are considering the possibility of playing this match at the stadium at 29 Traugutta Street, reads the official website. Information has also been included regarding the possible distribution of tickets, during which priority admission to this match will be given to holders of passes for the spring round of the Fortuna 1. Liga.

© Visimind

Back to the past

The stadium at 29 Traugutta Street was built in 1927 and served as Lechia Gdańsk's home ground from 1945 to 2011. On September 28, 1983, the most important sporting event in the stadium's history took place: the match between Lechia Gdańsk and Juventus Turin in the Cup Winners' Cup. The event attracted a record crowd, with around 40,000 people likely to be in the stands. Today, the stadium has a capacity of 11,811 seats and is used mainly as a training ground by Lechia, although rugby players and Baltia Gdańsk, in one of the lower divisions, also play their matches there.

It is worth mentioning that before the start of the current season, it was rumoured that Lechia would move permanently to Traugutta due to financial problems associated with relegation from the Ekstraklasa. It was also reported at the time that the venue needed a lot of renovation in order to be licensed to host matches in the second division. It can therefore be expected that a number of works to improve the stadium will be required to make a possible play-off match possible.