Piłka.uk
·21 June 2023
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Yahoo sportsPiłka.uk
·21 June 2023
Recently-promoted Puszcza Niepołomice announced a change of plans on Wednesday, with just weeks to go before the new season. With opposition from fans of Wisła Kraków, there had been speculation over whether the Biała Gwiazda may pull out of plans to host their play-off victors’ maiden season in the Polish Ekstraklasa. In the end, Puszcza officials announced they would instead take up another offer…
But Puszcza fans won’t have to travel any further to see their team in the top flight. Wednesday morning’s announcement confirmed that instead of the Henryk Reyman Stadium, Puszcza will debut in the Ekstraklasa at the Józef Piłsudski Stadium: the home of Wisła’s rivals Cracovia, and situated just half-a-mile across Kraków’s Park Błonia.
“Puszcza Niepołomice would like to thank the representatives of the City of Krakow, the Sports Infrastructure Management Board in Krakow and the Management Board of TS Wisła Kraków SA with the President Jarosław Królewski at the forefront, for the opportunity to submit the Municipal Stadium of Henryk Reyman in Kraków as a replacement stadium in the license application, allowing the Club to play in PKO BP Ekstraklasa”, the club issued in their statement.
“At the same time, Puszcza Niepołomice informs that after analyzing the situation after promotion to PKO BP Ekstraklasa, due to organizational matters, the Club decided to accept the offer of MKS Cracovia SSA for the lease of the Cracovia Stadium of Józef Piłsudski in Krakow. Puszcza Niepołomice would like to thank Professor Janusz Filipiak and the community and employees of MKS Cracovia SSA for openness, readiness to talk and help. The club is convinced that playing matches at the facility located at ul. Józefa Kałuży will be the optimal solution for fans of our Club. “
The club, however, stressed that remaining in Kraków is not their priority. Further along in the statement, they confirmed that “the club, together with the City of Niepołomice, are making every effort to adapt the facility at ul. Janusza Kusocińskiego 2 to the license requirements of PKO BP Ekstraklasa and PZPN“.
Puszcza Niepołomice confirmed their historic promotion to the Ekstraklasa – in their 100th anniversary year – just a few weeks ago, with their .
Puszcza will be in their Ekstraklasa campaign with two away games – at Widzew Łódź on the weekend of 22 July, and at Jagiellonia Białystok a week later – before playing their first “home” game in Kraków against Stal Mielec”.