Polonia Warszawa failed to take advantage of the opportunity to advance to the Ekstraklasa, and the defeat in the play-offs will bring serious consequences. Changes are coming to the sports department at Konwiktorska: Mariusz Pawlak is to say goodbye to the club, and Piotr Kosiorowski is also to leave. Piotr Stokowiec appears among the candidates to take over the team.

Polonia Warszawa is preparing changes after the play-offs

Polonia Warszawa got to the play-offs in dramatic circumstances. “Czarne Koszule” defeated Odra Opole 2-1 after a goal at the end of the last match of the regular season and thus overtook Ruch Chorzów in the fight for the place rewarded with participation in the additional competition.

However, the hope for a return to the Ekstraklasa did not last long. In the semi-finals, Polonia lost to Wieczysta Kraków, even though the opponent played weakly for a large part of the match. The capital team was unable to take advantage of this advantage, and after the final whistle, disappointment and questions about the future direction began to grow in the club.

Mariusz Pawlak is to leave Polonia

The most important change is to be parting with Mariusz Pawlak. The coach had a contract valid until mid-2028, but according to reports, his work at Konwiktorska has actually come to an end. The lost play-offs turned out to be the moment when the club’s authorities decided that a new impulse was needed.

The decision may be painful, because Polonia was close to the final of the play-offs, but the result itself was not enough to maintain the current arrangement. The club apparently decided that the team needed a different idea, especially if it was to fight for promotion to the top league again next season.

Piotr Kosiorowski is also close to saying goodbye

The changes will affect not only the coaching bench. Piotr Kosiorowski, the sports director associated with the club for years, is also expected to leave Polonia. This is a person who went with the Black Shirts from the third league to the back of the Ekstraklasa, so his separation would be a symbolic end of an important stage.

Kosiorowski had a large part in building the team, which step by step returned to a higher level. Now, after an unsuccessful attempt at promotion, the club may decide to undergo a more extensive reconstruction. Such moves show that owners do not want to limit themselves to cosmetic corrections.

Piotr Stokowiec is a candidate for work at Konwiktorska

Piotr Stokowiec appears among the names associated with Polonia. He is a well-known coach at Konwiktorska, because in the past he worked at the club as an assistant to several coaches, led the reserves, and later also the first team. His last season in this role was when Polonia was demoted from the Ekstraklasa to the third league for financial reasons.

Stokowiec later worked for, among others, Jagiellonia Białystok and Lechia Gdańsk, and recently managed Pogoń Grodzisk Mazowiecki. He leaves this club after the season, so he would be available to Polonia. His possible return would mean choosing a coach with experience and knowledge of the Warsaw environment.

An important stage ends at Konwiktorska Street

Polonia’s season ended in dissatisfaction. Promotion to the play-offs gave hope for a quick return to the Ekstraklasa, but the defeat against Wieczysta forced the club to postpone these plans. Now the most important thing will be to choose a new direction and people who will lead the project in the next season.

Pawlak’s departure and a possible separation from Kosiorowski would be a signal of a big change. At Konwiktorska, a new sports plan will have to be built, and the choice of the coach may determine whether Polonia will quickly return to the fight for promotion or whether it will face a longer period of reconstruction.