Czestochowa, a city of over 200,000 people, is mostly known as the home of the famous Black Madonna painting. It is this reputation that gives the local football team its nickname, “Religious Medallions.” The club was founded in the 1920s, with its roots in the city’s industrial district where a big steelworks was located.
For most of the 20th century, the team had a modest record, moving between the fourth, third and second tiers, with a shock run to the Polish Cup final in 1967 providing the standout moment. In 1994, Rakow reached the Ekstraklasa – Poland’s top flight. They stayed up for four seasons, but relegation was quickly followed by further back-to-back relegations that meant that, by 2001, the club was back down in the fourth tier.
Watching in…
