Zagłębie Lubin S.A. (Polish pronunciation:[zaˈɡwɛmbjɛˈlubin]) is a Polish professional football club based in Lubin. Founded in 1945 as OMTUR Lubin, the club competes in the Ekstraklasa.
The football team was founded in 1945 as OMTUR Lubin[3] by local members of the Youth Organization of the Association of Workers’ Universities (Organizacja Młodzieży Towarzystwa Uniwersytetów Robotniczych, OMTUR). The team played matches on a pitch at Kościuszko Street. The games of OMTUR Lubin were very popular, attracting crowds of people. Among the opponents, was the team of the local Red Army garrison, which faced the Poles in the autumn of 1945.
In March 1946, Klub Sportowy Zawisza, based on OMTUR Lubin, was formed (the name comes after a medieval knight, Zawisza Czarny).[3] Among its players was Emil Czyżowski of Pogoń Lwów, Tadeusz Rela of Tarnovia Tarnów, and Stanisław Leśniewski, who had briefly played for Dynamo Kyiv. In 1946, Zawisza played in the Group IV, winning promotion to the newly formed A-Klasa. On May 5, 1946 Zawisza Lubin played its first ever league game against MKS Zgorzelec.[3] In 1947, Zawisza won the Cup of Lower Silesia, and in the same year, the team from Lubin faced the team of the Northern Group of Forces, headquartered in nearby Legnica. The game, which Poles won 1–0, was attended by Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky.
In 1949, Zawisza Lubin changed name into Gwardia, and in 1951, to Spojnia.[4] In 1953, the team returned to its original name, Zawisza.[4]
In 1957, rich deposits of copper were discovered in the area of Lubin. With the construction of the Lubin mine, the team gained a rich sponsor (see also KGHM Polska Miedz). In 1961, its name was changed to Górnik ("Miner").[3] In 1963, Górnik won promotion from the C-Klasa to the B-Klasa.[3] Finally, in 1966, its name was changed to MKS Zagłębie Lubin, with MKS standing for Międzyzakładowy Klub Sportowy (Inter-Enterprise Sports Club).[3] In 1968, Zagłębie won promotion to the third division.[3] In the 1970s Zagłębie had nine departments: football, volleyball, basketball, boxing, handball, track and field, weight lifting, table tennis and contract bridge.[3] In 1974, Alojzy Sitko [pl] became the team's new manager.[3] Zagłębie was a sensation in the 1975–76 Polish Cup, beating the reigning Polish champions Ruch Chorzów, however, they eventually lost to Górnik Zabrze.[3]
In 1975, Zagłębie won a promotion to the second division, only to be relegated after one year. In 1978, it again was promoted and relegated after one year. The team was a sensation in the 1978–79 Polish Cup, beating GKS Katowice, Legia Warsaw and Górnik Zabrze, and reaching the semi-final, where they lost 0–3 to Wisła Kraków.
In 1982, under manager Stanisław Świerk, Zagłębie again won promotion to the second division. In 1985, it was finally promoted to the Ekstraklasa. With a new manager, Eugeniusz Rozanski, and a new stadium, Zagłębie was at that time one of the most powerful sports organization in Poland. On 27 July 1985, Zagłębie played its first Ekstraklasa home game, beating GKS Katowice 1–0, with Eugeniusz Ptak scoring the sole goal. In the 1985–86 season, Zagłębie finished 12th, in 1986–87 they placed 8th, and in 1987–88 - 11th. To avoid relegation, the team from Lubin had to participate in the play-offs, and lost to Górnik Wałbrzych (1–2, 2–2).
After one year in the second division, Zagłębie returned to the Ekstraklasa in June 1989. Managed by Stanisław Świerk, they were the 1989–90 Ekstraklasa runners-up and won a spot in the 1990–91 UEFA Cup. In the first round, Zagłębie faced the Italian side Bologna, losing both games 0–1, 0–1.
In June 1991, managed by Marian Putyra, Zagłębie won the Polish championship, earning a spot in the 1991–92 European Cup, where it faced Brøndby. The Polish champions lost 0–3 in the first leg, and won 2–1 at home, to be eliminated. Among Zagłębie’s top players at that time were Romuald Kujawa and Adam Zejer, both top scorers of the Ekstraklasa in 1990 and 1991.
In June 2003, after 13 years, Zagłębie was relegated from the Ekstraklasa. Before that, Zagłębie played 20 games in the Intertoto Cup, with 7 victories, 5 ties and 8 losses. Furthermore, in 2001, it was the fifth team in Poland, also reaching the semi-final of the Polish Cup.
After one year, Zagłębie returned to the Ekstraklasa in June 2004, and in spring 2005, it again reached the final of the Polish Cup, losing 0–2 to Dyskobolia Grodzisk Wielkopolski. In 2005–06, under Franciszek Smuda, Zagłębie, with its top scorer Michał Chałbiński, finished third in the league, winning a spot in the European competitions. Furthermore, the team again reached the final of the Polish Cup, losing 2–3 and 1–3 to Wisła Płock. In the UEFA Cup, Zagłębie was eliminated by Dinamo Minsk, following 1–1 and 0–0 draws, losing on away goals.
In the 2006–07 season, Zagłębie won the Polish championship for the second time, and at the beginning of the 2007–08 campaign they lifted the Polish Super Cup.[3]
In the 2013–14 season, Zagłębie reached the Polish Cup final for the third time, this time losing 5–6 on penalties following a 0–0 draw after extra time to Zawisza Bydgoszcz. In the 2015–16 season, Zagłębie finished third in the Ekstraklasa, earning a spot in the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League qualifications, where they managed to defeat Bulgarian team Slavia Sofia and Serbian powerhouse Partizan, before being eliminated by Danish side SønderjyskE.
