The 2018–19 Ekstraklasa (also known as Lotto Ekstraklasa due to its sponsorship by Totalizator Sportowy, Polish lottery) was the 93rd season of the Polish Football Championship, the 85th season of the highest tier domestic division in the Polish football league system since its establishment in 1927 and the 11th season of the Ekstraklasa under its current title. The league was operated by the Ekstraklasa SA.
The season started on 20 July 2018 and concluded on 19 May 2019. It is the second Ekstraklasa season to use VAR. After the 20th matchday the league went on a winter break between 23 December 2018 and 8 February 2019. The regular season was played as a round-robin tournament. A total of 16 teams participated, 14 of which competed in the league during the 2017–18 season, while the remaining two were promoted from the 2017–18 I liga. The fixtures were announced on 22 March 2018.
Each team played a total of 30 matches, half at home and half away. After the 30th round (in the beginning of April 2019), the league was split into two groups: championship round (top eight teams) and relegation round (bottom eight teams). Each team played 7 more games (teams ranked 1 to 4 and 9 to 12 played four times at home). Therefore, each team played a total of 37 matches. The team at the top of the Championship round won the league title. The two teams at the bottom of the Relegation round were relegated to 2019–20 I liga. This was the sixth season to take place since the new playoff structure has been introduced.
The defending champions were Legia Warsaw, who won their 13th Polish title the previous season. Piast Gliwice succeeded Legia, winning its first ever Polish top league title.
Teams Sixteen teams competed in the league – the top fourteen teams from the previous season, as well as two teams promoted from the I liga. Miedź Legnica were promoted to the Ekstraklasa for the first time. Zagłębie Sosnowiec made a return to the Ekstraklasa for the first time since 2008.
Stadiums and locations Note: Table lists in alphabetical order. Team Location Venue Capacity Arka Gdynia Gdynia Stadion GOSiR 15,139 Cracovia Kraków Stadion im. Józefa Piłsudskiego 15,016 Górnik Zabrze Zabrze Stadion im. Ernesta Pohla 24,413 Jagiellonia Białystok Białystok Stadion Jagiellonii 22,432 Korona Kielce Kielce Suzuki Arena 15,550 Lech Poznań Poznań Stadion Lecha 43,269 Lechia Gdańsk Gdańsk Stadion Energa Gdańsk 43,615 Legia Warsaw Warsaw Stadion Wojska Polskiego 31,800 Miedź Legnica Legnica Stadion im. Orła Białego 6,244 Piast Gliwice Gliwice Arena Gliwice 10,037 Pogoń Szczecin Szczecin Stadion im. Floriana Krygiera 18,027 Śląsk Wrocław Wrocław Stadion Wrocław 42,771 Wisła Kraków Kraków Stadion im. Henryka Reymana 33,326 Wisła Płock Płock Stadion im. Kazimierza Górskiego 12,800 Zagłębie Lubin Lubin Stadion Zagłębia 16,068 Zagłębie Sosnowiec Sosnowiec Stadion Ludowy 7,500 (4,900 seats) Upgrading to 31,871.
Arka Cracovia Górnik Zabrze Jagiellonia Korona Lech Stadion GOSiR Stadion im. Józefa Piłsudskiego Stadion im. Ernesta Pohla Stadion Jagiellonii Suzuki Arena Stadion Lecha Capacity: 15,139 Capacity: 15,016 Capacity: 24,413 Capacity: 22,432 Capacity: 15,550 Capacity: 43,269 Lechia Legia Stadion Energa Gdańsk Stadion Wojska Polskiego Capacity: 43,615 Capacity: 31,800 Miedź Piast Stadion im. Orła Białego Arena Gliwice Capacity: 6,244 Capacity: 10,037 Pogoń Śląsk Wisła Kraków Wisła Płock Zagłębie Lubin Zagłębie Sosnowiec Stadion im. Floriana Krygiera Stadion Wrocław Stadion im. Henryka Reymana Stadion im. Kazimierza Górskiego Stadion Zagłębia Stadion Ludowy Capacity: 18,027 Capacity: 42,771 Capacity: 33,326 Capacity: 12,800 Capacity: 16,068 Capacity: 7,500 (4,900 seats)
Personnel and kits Team Chairman Head coach Captain Manufacturer Sponsors Arka Gdynia Wojciech Pertkiewicz Jacek Zieliński Adam Marciniak Adidas LV Bet, Gdynia Cracovia Janusz Filipiak Michał Probierz Janusz Gol Nike Comarch Górnik Zabrze Bartosz Sarnowski Marcin Brosz Szymon Matuszek Adidas Allianz Jagiellonia Białystok Cezary Kulesza Ireneusz Mamrot Taras Romanczuk Erreà STS, Wschodzący Białystok Korona Kielce Krzysztof Zając Gino Lettieri Bartosz Rymaniak Puma Suzuki Lech Poznań Karol Klimczak Dariusz Żuraw Pedro Tiba Macron Aforti Lechia Gdańsk Adam Mandziara Piotr Stokowiec Flávio Paixão New Balance Energa, Paytren Legia Warsaw Dariusz Mioduski Aleksandar Vuković Miroslav Radović Adidas Fortuna Miedź Legnica Andrzej Dadełło Dominik Nowak Grzegorz Bartczak Saller DSA SA Piast Gliwice Paweł Żelem Waldemar Fornalik Gerard Badía Adidas Gliwice Pogoń Szczecin Jarosław Mroczek Kosta Runjaić Adam Frączczak Zina Grupa Azoty Śląsk Wrocław Marcin Przychodny Vítězslav Lavička Marcin Robak Adidas forBET Wisła Kraków Rafał Wisłocki Maciej Stolarczyk Jakub Błaszczykowski Adidas LV Bet Wisła Płock Jacek Kruszewski Leszek Ojrzyński Bartłomiej Sielewski Adidas PKN Orlen, Budmat Zagłębie Lubin Mateusz Dróżdż Ben van Dael Ľubomír Guldan Nike KGHM Zagłębie Sosnowiec Marcin Jaroszewski Valdas Ivanauskas Tomasz Nowak Patrick Banimex, Nelro Data
Managerial changes Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Position in table Incoming manager Date of appointment Lech Poznań Rafał UlatowskiCaretaking spell over 21 May 2018Pre-season Ivan Đurđević 21 May 2018 Arka Gdynia Leszek OjrzyńskiEnd of contract 21 May 2018 Zbigniew Smółka 8 June 2018 Wisła Kraków Joan CarrilloMutual consent 12 June 2018 Maciej Stolarczyk 18 June 2018 Wisła Płock Jerzy Brzęczek Resigned 12 July 2018 Dariusz Dźwigała 14 July 2018Legia Warsaw Dean Klafurić Sacked 1 August 2018 9th Aleksandar Vuković (interim) 1 August 2018 Aleksandar Vuković Caretaking spell over 13 August 2018 6th Ricardo Sá Pinto 13 August 2018 Wisła Płock Dariusz Dźwigała Sacked 7 October 2018 13th Kibu Vicuña 10 October 2018 Zagłębie Sosnowiec Dariusz Dudek Resigned 8 October 2018 16th Valdas Ivanauskas 15 October 2018 Zagłębie Lubin Mariusz Lewandowski Mutual consent 29 October 2018 6th Ben van Dael 29 October 2018Lech Poznań Ivan Đurđević Sacked 4 November 2018 7th Dariusz Żuraw (interim) 5 November 2018 Dariusz Żuraw Caretaking spell over 25 November 2018 8th Adam Nawałka 25 November 2018Śląsk Wrocław Tadeusz Pawłowski Sacked 11 December 2018 14th Paweł Barylski (interim) 11 December 2018 Paweł Barylski Caretaking spell over 3 January 2019 14th Vítězslav Lavička 3 January 2019 Lech Poznań Adam NawałkaSacked 31 March 2019 9th Dariusz Żuraw 1 April 2019 Legia Warsaw Ricardo Sá Pinto 1 April 2019 2nd Aleksandar Vuković 2 April 2019 Arka Gdynia Zbigniew Smółka 1 April 2019 14th Jacek Zieliński 12 April 2019 Wisła Płock Kibu Vicuña 3 April 2019 15th Leszek Ojrzyński 4 April 2019
Regular season
League table
Positions by round
Results
Results by round
Play-offs
Championship round
League table
Positions by round
Results
Relegation round
League table
Positions by round
Results
Season statistics
Top goalscorers RankPlayerClubGoals1 Igor AnguloGórnik Zabrze242 Marcin RobakŚląsk Wrocław183 CarlitosLegia Warsaw16 Jesús ImazJagiellonia Białystok5 Flávio PaixãoLechia Gdańsk156 Airam CabreraCracovia14 Elia SorianoKorona Kielce8 Petteri ForsellMiedź Legnica13 Filip StarzyńskiZagłębie Lubin10 Christian GytkjærLech Poznań12 Marko KolarWisła Kraków
Top assists RankPlayerClubAssists1 Žarko UdovičićZagłębie Sosnowiec112 Jesús JiménezGórnik Zabrze93 Martin KonczkowskiPiast Gliwice8 Zvonimir KožuljPogoń Szczecin Filip MladenovićLechia Gdańsk6 Dominik FurmanWisła Płock7 Dominik NagyLegia Warsaw Róbert PichŚląsk Wrocław Guilherme SityáJagiellonia Białystok10 Gerard BadíaPiast Gliwice6
Hat-tricks
Player For Against Result Date Ref Lechia Gdańsk Zagłębie Lubin 3–3 (H) Śląsk Wrocław Jagiellonia Białystok 4–0 (A) Wisła Kraków Korona Kielce 6–2 (A)
Attendances
Awards Monthly awards
Player of the Month MonthPlayerClubJuly 2018 Piotr CelebanŚląsk WrocławAugust 2018 Zdeněk OndrášekWisła KrakówSeptember 2018 Petteri ForsellMiedź LegnicaOctober 2018 Jesús ImazWisła KrakówNovember 2018 Flávio PaixãoLechia GdańskDecember 2018 Michał JanotaArka GdyniaFebruary 2019 Filip MladenovićLechia GdańskMarch 2019 Jakub BłaszczykowskiWisła KrakówApril 2019 Igor AnguloGórnik ZabrzeMay 2019 Zvonimir KožuljPogoń Szczecin
Young Player of the Month MonthPlayerClubSeptember 2018 Patryk DziczekPiast GliwiceOctober 2018 Sebastian KowalczykPogoń SzczecinNovember 2018 Karol ŚwiderskiJagiellonia BiałystokDecember 2018 Radosław MajeckiLegia WarsawFebruary 2019 Filip JagiełłoZagłębie LubinMarch 2019 Tomasz MakowskiLechia GdańskApril 2019 Sebastian SzymańskiLegia WarsawMay 2019 Patryk DziczekPiast Gliwice
Coach of the Month MonthCoachClubJuly 2018 Waldemar FornalikPiast GliwiceAugust 2018 Piotr StokowiecLechia GdańskSeptember 2018 Waldemar FornalikPiast GliwiceOctober 2018 Kosta RunjaićPogoń SzczecinNovember 2018 Kosta RunjaićPogoń SzczecinDecember 2018 Michał ProbierzCracoviaFebruary 2019 Michał ProbierzCracoviaMarch 2019 Waldemar FornalikPiast GliwiceApril 2019 Waldemar FornalikPiast GliwiceMay 2019 Waldemar FornalikPiast Gliwice
Annual awards AwardPlayerClubPlayer of the Season Joel ValenciaPiast GliwiceGoalkeeper of the Season František PlachPiast GliwiceDefender of the Season Aleksandar SedlarPiast GliwiceMidfielder of the Season Joel ValenciaPiast GliwiceForward of the Season Igor AnguloGórnik ZabrzeCoach of the Season Waldemar FornalikPiast GliwiceTop Scorer of the Season Igor AnguloGórnik ZabrzeYoung Player of the Season Patryk DziczekPiast Gliwice Team of the SeasonGoalkeeper František Plach (Piast Gliwice)Defenders Aleksandar Sedlar (Piast Gliwice) Filip Mladenović (Lechia Gdańsk) Jakub Czerwiński (Piast Gliwice) Robert Gumny (Lech Poznań)Midfielders Joel Valencia (Piast Gliwice) Kamil Drygas (Pogoń Szczecin) Lukáš Haraslín (Lechia Gdańsk)Forwards Igor Angulo (Górnik Zabrze) Carlos López (Legia Warsaw) Airam Cabrera (Cracovia)
Notes
References
External links
Ekstraklasa at uefa.com