The European Adventure of Wisła Kraków

Wisła Kraków bid farewell to European competitions with dignity, providing unforgettable moments not only for fans in Kraków but across all of Polish football. Let's revisit that journey!

First opponent: KF Llapi

Wisła Kraków's adventure in European competitions during the 2024/25 season was filled with emotions, twists, and challenges. Under the leadership of Kazimierz Moskal, the team entered the competition in the first qualifying round of the Europa League, facing KF Llapi from Kosovo in a two-legged tie. The first match was played in Kraków, and it took the White Star only two minutes to start scoring. Igor Sapała opened the game, and Ángel Rodado closed it. Wisła travelled to Kosovo with a two-goal lead.

The return leg, played in Kosovo, brought Wisła another victory, this time 2-1. Although Llapi's hosts tried to make a comeback, Wisła maintained control. Ángel Rodado opened the scoring, and Giannis Kiakos added another late in the match. Despite Llapi's response with a goal from Tahiri, they couldn’t change the outcome. With a 4-1 aggregate win, Wisła confidently advanced to the next qualifying round.

A tough battle with Rapid Vienna

The second-round draw paired Wisła Kraków with Rapid Vienna. This tie proved to be a much more difficult challenge for the Kraków side. The first leg, played in Poland, ended with a 1-2 defeat for Wisła. Though the Polish team fought hard, the visitors from Vienna took the lead with a goal by Jansson, followed by another from Seidl. Wisła responded only at the end of the match with a goal from Marc Carbó, but it wasn't enough to avoid defeat. The 1-2 result before the second leg put Kraków in a tough spot.

The return leg was painful for Wisła. Rapid dominated the match from the start, scoring six goals. Burgstaller netted three times, with Beljo, Raux-Yao, and Lang adding to the tally. Wisła's only response was a consolation goal by Ángel Rodado. The match ended 1-6, and with an 8-2 aggregate score, Kraków had to accept their elimination from the Europa League.

Time for the Conference League

After saying goodbye to the Europa League, Wisła continued their journey in the third qualifying round of the Conference League. Their opponent was Slovakia's Spartak Trnava. In the first match, the White Star took an early lead thanks to a goal from – who else? – Ángel Rodado. Despite the promising start, Spartak dominated the second half, scoring three goals – twice from Ďuriš and once from Azango, allowing the hosts to win 3-1. This result again left little optimism ahead of the rematch in Kraków.

The second leg was a tense, historic match. Knowing they had to overcome a deficit, Wisła played offensively. In the 43rd minute, Rodado converted a penalty, bringing hope. In the 60th minute, Piotr Starzyński made it 2-0, and Uryga’s goal in extra time (98th minute) seemed to seal the victory. However, Spartak responded in the 106th minute through Ďuriš, sending the match to penalties. Wisła triumphed in a dramatic shootout, winning 12-11, and advanced to the fourth qualifying round of the Conference League.

The final opponent: Cercle Brugge

Wisła’s last opponent in this European adventure was Belgium’s Cercle Brugge. The first match in Kraków ended in a heavy 1-6 defeat. Cercle Brugge took an early lead with goals from Mindy and Somers within the first 11 minutes. Ravych, Denkey, Ouattara, and Olaigbe added more. Wisła’s only goal came from Ángel Rodado, but it was a consolation.

The second leg brought a surprising turn of events, but Wisła fell just short of advancing. Kraków played with heroic determination and ambition, resulting in a 4-1 win. Uryga, Kiss, and Gogół scored, and Łukasz Zwoliński secured the final goal in stoppage time. Despite the great performance and high victory, the 7-5 aggregate favouring Cercle Brugge meant Wisła’s elimination from European competitions this season.

Ángel Rodado - Wisła's top scorer

The hero and top scorer for Wisła in these competitions was Ángel Rodado, the Spanish forward who netted six goals in eight matches. The second-highest scorer was Wisła’s captain, Alan Uryga, who scored two goals in these competitions. Other players who found the net in Europe were Igor Sapała, Giannis Kiakos, Marc Carbo, Piotr Starzyński, Tamas Kiss, Patryk Gogół, and Łukasz Zwoliński.

The squad that represented the White Star in Europe:

Goalkeepers:
#1 Kamil Broda – 4 Matches
#28 Patryk Letkiewicz
#31 Anton Chichkan – 4 Matches

Defenders:
#4 Rafał Mikulec – 8 Matches
#5 Joseph Colley – 4 Matches
#6 Alan Uryga – 8 Matches/2 Goals
#25 Bartosz Jaroch – 8 Matches/1 Assist
#26 Igor Łasicki - 1 Match
#30 Giannis Kiakos – 6 Matches/1 Goal
#52 Jakub Krzyżanowski - 1 Match
#54 Kuba Wiśniewski - 1 Match
#55 Arkadiusz Ziarko
#75 Kacper Skrobański
#97 Wiktor Biedrzycki – 4 Matches

Midfielders:
#7 Igor Sapała - 3 Matches/1 Goal
#8 Marc Carbo – 8 Matches/1 Goal
#10 Frederico Duarte – 4 Matches
#11 Mateusz Młyński - 2 Matches
#13 Tamas Kiss – 4 Matches/1 Goal
#17 Jesus Alfaro – 2 Matches/1 Assist
#19 Olivier Sukiennicki – 8 Matches/1 Assist
#20 Karol Dziedzic – 3 Matches
#21 Patryk Gogół - 8 Matches/1 Goal/1 Assist*
#22 Piotr Starzyński - 5 Matches/1 Goal
#41 Kacper Duda
#50 Mariusz Kutwa – 6 Matches
#80 Dawid Olejarka
#77 Angel Baena – 8 Matches/2 Assists

Forwards:
#9 Ángel Rodado – 8 Matches/6 Goals/1 Assist*
#99 Łukasz Zwoliński - 5 Matches/1

Goal Wisła’s all-time top scorers in European competitions:
23 – Maciej Żurawski
21 – Tomasz Frankowski
12 – Paweł Brożek
8 – Tomasz Kulawik
7 – Kazimierz Kmiecik, Kalu Uche
6 – Marcin Kuźba, Ángel Rodado

*Assist statistics are based on the official UEFA.com website.