Piast Gliwice

Piast Gliwice, founded on June 18, 1945 by displaced persons from Lviv, is one of the Polish football clubs with a rich history. Its first section was dedicated to football, and the initial team was formed by repatriates and local Silesians. In 1957, the team made its debut in the second league and spent 35 seasons there, achieving its greatest successes between 1975 and 1983, when it repeatedly fought for promotion to the Ekstraklasa and reached the Polish Cup finals. After financial problems in the 1990s, the club was withdrawn from the competitions, but it was reactivated in 1997. Piast achieved a historic promotion to the Ekstraklasa on May 24, 2008, and in 2009 played its first match in this prestigious league. The club underwent reorganization and established a joint-stock company, in which the city of Gliwice held the majority of shares. The stadium at Okrzei Street underwent a significant modernization, enabling it to host Ekstraklasa matches, with the first match in Gliwice taking place on April 3, 2009. Piast won the Polish Championship in the 2018/2019 season, delivering outstanding results in the second half of the season. The club also develops beyond football, with sections in disciplines such as fencing, tennis, sports bridge, and athletics, achieving success at the national and international levels. Interestingly, Piast Gliwice also introduced an e-sports section, combining sports tradition with modern technology. Piast boasts diverse sports facilities and a history full of successes, from Olympic medalists to stages of mergers and organizational transformations. Piast's fans are mainly residents of the Silesian Voivodeship, and the club has fan clubs in many towns in the region. Thanks to connections with other clubs, such as GKS Jastrzębie and agreements with BATE Borisov, Piast holds a strong position in the local sports community. Its history, stadium architecture, sports achievements, and activity in various fields make the club a significant element of sports culture in Poland.