Soccer-Polish derby with a difference, as newcomers host landlords

(Fixes spelling of Krakow in paragraph one and two)

(Reuters) – Krakow witnessed a unique derby when Cracovia played an away game in their own stadium on Saturday, showcasing one of the biggest rivalries in Polish football. Niepolomice, a town located just over 20 kilometers from Krakow, hosted the match in their stadium, which has a capacity of over two thousand and is adequate for their population of under 17,000. However, Puszcza Niepolomice, who won promotion to the Ekstraklasa for the first time last season, faced an issue due to their stadium not meeting the requirements of the Polish Football Association (PZPN).

Initially, Puszcza considered using Wisla Krakow’s ground, but they eventually chose Cracovia stadium, which is smaller in comparison. Interestingly, Wisla Krakow’s stadium can accommodate twice the population of Niepolomice. Nevertheless, Cracovia’s 15,000-capacity stadium proved to be the better option.

While Wisla Krakow currently competes in the second tier, Puszcza’s promotion to the top tier led to an intriguing situation where Cracovia fans had the opportunity to experience an away game in their own city without leaving their home ground. This promotion included a victory against Wisla, which heightened the excitement among Cracovia fans.

The derby between Wisla and Cracovia is commonly referred to as the “Holy War,” but the game between Puszcza and Cracovia at Puszcza’s home ground was advertised as the “Malopolska Football Festival.” This event attracted the largest crowd of the season for Puszcza.

Puszcza Niepolomice is currently facing the possibility of relegation and, to survive their first season in the Ekstraklasa, they must maintain a strong home record. Prior to Saturday’s match, their performance at Cracovia’s stadium had only resulted in one loss in five games.

The majority of the 5,833 spectators in attendance on Saturday were Cracovia fans acting as the “visiting” supporters. The match ended in a 1-1 draw, allowing Puszcza to preserve their impressive home record.

(Reporting by Trevor Stynes; Editing by Christian Radnedge)