The 2020–21 Ekstraklasa (also known as PKO Bank Polski Ekstraklasa due to its sponsorship by PKO Bank Polski) was the 95th season of the Polish Football Championship, the 87th season of the highest tier domestic division in the Polish football league system since its establishment in 1927 and the 13th season of the Ekstraklasa under its current title. The league was operated by the Ekstraklasa SA.
The regular season was played as a round-robin tournament. A total of 16 teams participated, 13 of which competed in the league during the previous season, while the remaining three were promoted from the 2019–20 I liga. On 24 July 2020 Ekstraklasa SA and Polish Football Association announced the 2020–21 season calendar. The season started on 21 August 2020 and concluded on 16 May 2021. Due to the season start being delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic it was shortened to 30 matchdays without a split into Championship and Relegation groups. Each team played a total of 30 matches, half at home and half away. After the 14th matchday the league went on a winter break between 21 December 2020 and 28 January 2021. 2020–21 was a transition season (only the team which took 16th position after the season was relegated to I liga) to extend Ekstraklasa from 16 to 18 teams starting with the 2021–22 season. During 2020–21 season a substitution limit increased from three to five. It was the fourth Ekstraklasa season to use VAR. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, only 51 matches were played with a limited number of spectators. The rest of the matches (between 17 October 2020 and 15 May 2021) were played behind closed doors without any spectators.
The two clubs promoted from I liga were Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała, returning to Ekstraklasa after four years, as well as Stal Mielec, who made a return to Ekstraklasa after 24 years. After winning the I liga promotion play-offs, Warta Poznań also returned to Ekstraklasa after 25 years.
Legia Warsaw were the defending champions, and won their 15th title overall on 28 April after Raków Częstochowa drew 0–0 away to Jagiellonia Białystok with three games remaining. The season's runner-up was Raków Częstochowa, and the third-placed team was Pogoń Szczecin. The only relegated team this season was Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała.
Teams A total of 16 teams participate in the 2020–21 Ekstraklasa season.
Changes from last season Promoted from2019–20 I liga Relegated from2019–20 Ekstraklasa Stal Mielec Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała Warta Poznań Arka Gdynia Korona Kielce ŁKS Łódź
Stadiums and locations Note: Table lists in alphabetical order. Team Location Venue Capacity Cracovia Kraków Stadion im. Józefa Piłsudskiego 15,114 Górnik Zabrze Zabrze Stadion im. Ernesta Pohla 24,563 Jagiellonia Białystok Białystok Stadion Jagiellonii Białystok 22,432 Lech Poznań Poznań Stadion Poznań 43,269 Lechia Gdańsk Gdańsk Stadion Gdańsk 43,615 Legia Warsaw Warsaw Stadion Wojska Polskiego 31,800 Piast Gliwice Gliwice Stadion im. Piotra Wieczorka 10,037 Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała Bielsko-Biała Stadion Podbeskidzia Bielsko-Biała 15,076 Pogoń Szczecin Szczecin Stadion im. Floriana Krygiera 4,200Raków Częstochowa Bełchatów GIEKSA Arena 5,264 Częstochowa Miejski Stadion Piłkarski Raków 4,200 Stal Mielec Mielec Stadion Stali Mielec 6,864 Śląsk Wrocław Wrocław Stadion Wrocław 45,105 Warta Poznań Poznań Stadion Dyskobolii Grodzisk Wielkopolski 5,383 Wisła Kraków Kraków Stadion im. Henryka Reymana 33,326 Wisła Płock Płock Stadion im. Kazimierza Górskiego 12,800 Zagłębie Lubin Lubin Stadion Zagłębia Lubin 16,068 Upgrading to 31,871. Upgrading to 21,163. Due to the renovation of the Municipal Football Stadium "Raków" in Częstochowa, Raków played their home matches at the GIEKSA Arena in Bełchatów. Stadium used for two games behind closed doors – against Śląsk Wrocław (26th round) and Piast Gliwice (29th round) Due to the renovation of Warta Poznań Stadium in Poznań, Warta played their home matches at the Stadion Dyskobolii in Grodzisk Wielkopolski.
Cracovia Górnik Zabrze Jagiellonia Lech Lechia Legia Stadion im. Józefa Piłsudskiego Stadion im. Ernesta Pohla Stadion Jagiellonii Białystok Stadion Poznań Arena Gdańsk Stadion Wojska Polskiego Capacity: 15,114 Capacity: 24,563 Capacity: 22,432 Capacity: 43,269 Capacity: 43,615 Capacity: 31,800 Piast Podbeskidzie Stadion im. Piotra Wieczorka Stadion Podbeskidzia Bielsko-Biała Capacity: 10,037 Capacity: 15,076 Pogoń Raków Stadion im. Floriana Krygiera GIEKSA Arena Capacity: 4,200 Capacity: 5,264 Stal Mielec Śląsk Warta Wisła Kraków Wisła Płock Zagłębie Stadion Stali Mielec Stadion Wrocław Stadion Dyskobolii Grodzisk Wielkopolski Stadion im. Henryka Reymana Stadion im. Kazimierza Górskiego Stadion Zagłębia Lubin Capacity: 6,864 Capacity: 45,105 Capacity: 5,383 Capacity: 33,326 Capacity: 12,800 Capacity: 16,068
Personnel and kits Team Chairman Head coach Appointment Date Captain Manufacturer Strategic sponsor Cracovia Janusz Filipiak Michał Probierz Sergiu Hanca Puma Comarch Górnik Zabrze Bartosz Sarnowski Marcin Brosz Michał Koj Hummel Węglokoks Jagiellonia Białystok Cezary Kulesza Rafał Grzyb Taras Romanczuk Kappa STS Lech Poznań Karol Klimczak Piotr Rutkowski Maciej Skorża Thomas Rogne Macron STS Lechia Gdańsk Adam Mandziara Piotr Stokowiec Flávio Paixão New Balance Energa, Paytren Legia Warsaw Dariusz Mioduski Czesław Michniewicz Artur Jędrzejczyk Adidas Plus500 Piast Gliwice Grzegorz Bednarski Waldemar Fornalik Gerard Badía Adidas Betclic, Kar-Tel Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała Bogdan Kłys Robert Kasperczyk Łukasz Sierpina Masita Łukosz, Bielsko-Biała Pogoń Szczecin Jarosław Mroczek Kosta Runjaić Adam Frączczak Capelli Sport Raków Częstochowa Wojciech Cygan Marek Papszun Tomáš Petrášek Macron x-kom Stal Mielec Bartłomiej Jaskot Włodzimierz Gąsior Krystian Getinger Adidas PGE Śląsk Wrocław Piotr Waśniewski Jacek Magiera Krzysztof Mączyński Adidas Noblebet Warta Poznań Michał Wieczorek Piotr Tworek Bartosz Kieliba Nike Totalbet Wisła Kraków Dawid Błaszczykowski Kazimierz Kmiecik Jakub Błaszczykowski Macron LV BET, Socios Wisła Wisła Płock Jacek Kruszewski Maciej Bartoszek Alan Uryga Adidas PKN Orlen Zagłębie Lubin Marcin Lewiński Martin Ševela Saša Balić Nike KGHM
Managerial changes Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Position in table Incoming manager Date of appointment Jagiellonia Białystok Ivaylo Petev Mutual consent 31 July 2020Pre-season Bogdan Zając 31 July 2020 Stal Mielec Dariusz Marzec 31 July 2020 Dariusz Skrzypczak 31 July 2020 Legia Warsaw Aleksandar Vuković Sacked 21 September 2020 7th Czesław Michniewicz 21 September 2020 Stal Mielec Dariusz Skrzypczak 10 November 2020 15th Leszek Ojrzyński 11 November 2020 Wisła Kraków Artur Skowronek 28 November 2020 12th Peter Hyballa Kazimierz Kmiecik Grzegorz Mokry 2 December 202030 November 202030 November 2020 Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała Krzysztof Brede 15 December 2020 16th Robert Kasperczyk 22 December 2020 Jagiellonia Białystok Bogdan Zając 17 March 2021 12th Rafał Grzyb 17 March 2021 Śląsk Wrocław Vítězslav Lavička 21 March 2021 7th Jacek Magiera 22 March 2021 Lech Poznań Dariusz Żuraw 6 April 2021 9th Maciej Skorża Janusz Góra 12 April 202111 April 2021 Stal Mielec Leszek Ojrzyński 12 April 2021 16th Włodzimierz Gąsior 12 April 2021 Wisła Płock Radosław Sobolewski 12 April 2021 13th Maciej Bartoszek 13 April 2021 Wisła Kraków Peter Hyballa Mutual consent 14 May 2021 14th Kazimierz Kmiecik 14 May 2021 Italics for interim managers.
League table
Positions by round Note: The list does not include the matches postponed to a later date but includes all games played in advance.
The place taken by the team that played fewer matches than the opponents was underlined.
Results
Season statistics
Top goalscorers RankPlayerClubGoals1 Tomáš PekhartLegia Warsaw222 Jakub ŚwierczokPiast Gliwice153 Mikael IshakLech Poznań12 Jesús JiménezGórnik Zabrze Flávio PaixãoLechia Gdańsk6 Kamil BilińskiPodbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała11 Jesús ImazJagiellonia Białystok Jakov PuljićJagiellonia Białystok9 IviRaków Częstochowa9 Erik ExpósitoŚląsk Wrocław
Top assists RankPlayerClubAssists1 Mateusz SzwochWisła Płock102 Josip JuranovićLegia Warsaw8 Filip StarzyńskiZagłębie Lubin4 Marcin CebulaRaków Częstochowa7 Tomáš PřikrylJagiellonia Białystok Łukasz TrałkaWarta Poznań7 Maciej DomańskiStal Mielec6 Jesús ImazJagiellonia Białystok Rafał PietrzakLechia Gdańsk Martin PospíšilJagiellonia Białystok Pedro TibaLech Poznań
Hat-tricks
Player For Against Result Date Ref Jesús Jiménez Górnik Zabrze Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała 4–2 (H) Jakov Puljić Jagiellonia Białystok Wisła Płock 5–2 (H) Jagiellonia Białystok Warta Poznań 4–3 (H) Tomáš Pekhart 4 Legia Warsaw Zagłębie Lubin 0–4 (A) 4 Player scored four goals.
Attendances
Awards Monthly awards
Player of the Month MonthPlayerClubAugust 2020 Jesús JiménezGórnik ZabrzeSeptember 2020 Bartosz NowakGórnik ZabrzeOctober 2020 IviRaków CzęstochowaNovember 2020 Jakub ŚwierczokPiast GliwiceDecember 2020 Jakub ŚwierczokPiast GliwiceFebruary 2021 Bartosz KapustkaLegia WarsawMarch 2021 Tomáš PekhartLegia WarsawApril 2021 Jakub ŚwierczokPiast GliwiceMay 2021 Jakub ŚwierczokPiast Gliwice
Young Player of the Month MonthPlayerClubAugust 2020 Mateusz PraszelikŚląsk WrocławSeptember 2020 Adrian GryszkiewiczGórnik ZabrzeOctober 2020 Karol NiemczyckiCracoviaNovember 2020 Kacper ChodynaZagłębie LubinDecember 2020 Kacper KozłowskiPogoń SzczecinFebruary 2021 Xavier DziekońskiJagiellonia BiałystokMarch 2021 Kamil PiątkowskiRaków CzęstochowaApril 2021 Kamil PiątkowskiRaków CzęstochowaMay 2021 Rafał StrączekStal Mielec
Coach of the Month MonthCoachClubAugust 2020 Marcin BroszGórnik ZabrzeSeptember 2020 Marcin BroszGórnik ZabrzeOctober 2020 Marek PapszunRaków CzęstochowaNovember 2020 Czesław MichniewiczLegia WarsawDecember 2020 Kosta RunjaićPogoń SzczecinFebruary 2021 Piotr TworekWarta PoznańMarch 2021 Czesław MichniewiczLegia WarsawApril 2021 Marek PapszunRaków CzęstochowaMay 2021 Marek PapszunRaków Częstochowa
Annual awards AwardPlayerClubGoalkeeper of the Season Dante StipicaPogoń SzczecinDefender of the Season Filip MladenovićLegia WarsawMidfielder of the Season LuquinhasLegia WarsawForward of the Season Tomáš PekhartLegia WarsawCoach of the Season Marek PapszunRaków CzęstochowaYoung player of the season Kamil PiątkowskiRaków CzęstochowaPlayer of the Season Filip MladenovićLegia WarsawTop Scorer of the season Tomáš PekhartLegia WarsawGoal of the season Jesús ImazJagiellonia Białystok Team of the SeasonGoalkeeper Dante Stipica (Pogoń Szczecin)Defenders Filip Mladenović (Legia Warsaw) Benedikt Zech (Pogoń Szczecin) Kamil Piątkowski (Raków Częstochowa) Josip Juranović (Legia Warsaw)Midfielders Bartosz Kapustka (Legia Warsaw) Luquinhas (Legia Warsaw) Marcin Cebula (Raków Częstochowa)Forwards Jakub Świerczok (Piast Gliwice) Tomáš Pekhart (Legia Warsaw) Jesús Imaz (Jagiellonia Białystok)
See also 2020–21 I liga 2020–21 II liga 2020–21 III liga 2020–21 Polish Cup 2020 Polish Super Cup
Notes
References
External links
Ekstraklasa at uefa.com