The 2024/25 European season is quickly approaching, with 236 clubs set to compete in UEFA’s continental club competitions this season.
With the first qualifying round draws two weeks away, Extratime Talk will be providing a comprehensive coefficient preview. Between now and then, each country will be previewed, and all clubs discussed.
In these articles, we will provide analyses of what to expect from each country in Europe. We will all explore what is on the line from a coefficient standpoint, and the keys to succeeding.
This being the second piece of this preview series, we will take a look at the Polish clubs.
Poland In Europe: Country Profile
| Previous Season Coefficient (Rank) | 6.875 (15th) |
| Previous Season’s 5-Year Coefficient (Rank) | 25.375 (21st) |
| Starting 5-Year Coefficient (Rank) | 23.250 (18th) |
The last two campaigns have been excellent for Polish sides playing in Europe. In the 2021/22 season, Lech Poznań reached the quarterfinal stage of the UEFA Europa Conference League. That was followed by Legia Warszawa making the knockout round playoffs of the same competition a year later. Just these two seasons combined saw Poland earn nearly 15.000 coefficient points.
However, as we move to a new campaign of continental football, the pressure will increase. Now firmly in the top 20 of the five-year coefficient ranking to start the year, a top 15 place is in sight. It will be quite the challenge for Poland to mimic the year they had in 2021/22, especially given Lech Poznań and Raków Częstochowa’s absences.
Poland In Europe: Club Profile
| Club | Qualified As | Round of Entry | Total European Seasons | Last Season’s Performance | 5-Year Club Coefficient (2023/24) | 5-Year Country Coefficient Contribution, 2023/24 (%) |
| Jagiellonia Białystok | Domstic Champion | UCL Q2, CH Path | 6 | N/A | 5.075 | N/A |
| Wisła Kraków | Cup Winner | UEL Q1 | 18 | N/A | 5.075 | N/A |
| Śląsk Wrocław | Domestic Runner-up | UECL Q2, Main Path | 13 | N/A | 5.075 | 1.125 (4.43%) |
| Legia Warszawa | Domestic Third Place | UECL Q2, Main Path | 42 | UECL Knockout Round Playoffs | 18.000 | 7.875 (31.03%) |
Having won the league for the very first time, Jagiellonia Białystok will be Poland’s representative in Champions League qualifying. They will enter the second qualifying round, due to the Russian clubs still being banned. Jagiellonia has never made it past Q3 in their previous five European showings, though that will change this summer as they will compete in a playoff round.
Polish Cup winner Wisła Kraków returns to Europe after a 12-year wait, entering UEL Q1. Remarkably, they are one of a few teams partaking in continental play this season to not be in the first division of their country. Instead, the Kraków-based side is in the second division. It will, however, be a tall order for them to make the knockout rounds like they did 12 years ago.
Losing out on the title on head-to-head, Śląsk Wrocław is back after missing out last term. They made the Europa League playoff round three years in a row between 2011 and 2013. This will be their second foray in the Conference League, having made Q3 two years ago.
Poland’s last representative in Europe will be regulars Legia Warszawa. They made the Conference League’s knockout round playoffs last season, despite being unseeded in the qualifying stages. This time, Legia will have the advantage of being seeded throughout qualifying. Much will be expected from them regarding their contribution to the Polish coefficient.
Season Ambitions
Poland starts the year in 18th spot in UEFA’s five-year country coefficient ranking, 3.325 points behind 15th. With more points available now than ever, there is no reason for the country not to believe in a top 15 finish. That will likely be the goal for Poland, who successfully secured a top 22 spot a year ago.
This task will not be easy though, given the competition involved in this battle. A plethora of countries will be involved in this race, with most of them starting ahead of the Poles. Therefore, even though the aim will be a top 15 place, the challenge will be quite arduous.
What a Successful Season Would Be for Polish Football
As mentioned above, 15th place should be the goal for Polish football at the minimum. But, how do they achieve that? First thing is to have at least two teams in a league phase, preferably more. Jagiellonia will have three chances to assure that, while Wisła has the safety net of dropping to the Conference League should they lose at any point in Europa League qualifying. Both Śląsk and Legia must endure three rounds of Conference League qualifying to make the league phase.
From there, two teams in the knockout rounds may give Poland a fighting chance, depending on what the others around them do. Overall, a season with about 8.000 points should be seen as a success for Poland, especially if they have any desire to end the 2024/25 term in the top 15.
What to Expect From Poland in 2024/25
This will likely be a year where Polish clubs will struggle in Europe. As previously mentioned, only Legia has their own coefficient. Moreover, Legia, Lech and Raków accounted for 84% of the country’s five-year coefficient at the end of the 2023/24 campaign. With the latter two not in Europe this time around, it raises the question: can Jagiellonia, Wisła and Śląsk chip in from a coefficient standpoint?
The answer to this question is likely no. While Jagiellonia has three shots at making a league phase, they are unseeded throughout qualifying. That makes things a lot more difficult, worse if they are handed unkind draws. As for Wisła and Śląsk, who are also unseeded throughout qualifying – they likelihood of them making a league phase is even slimmer. Between them, they will have to win six ties to make the league phases.
As a result, all the pressure is on Legia to perform. Even if they make the UECL league phase, they might be the only Polish club to do so. Therefore, do not expect Poland to a have a great year in Europe. It will most likely be a struggle for them, and they will likely end up trying to stay in the top 20.