The past season was a fascinating mix of triumphs and disappointments for Jagiellonia Białystok, from a brilliant start in the Ekstraklasa, through successes in the European arena, to a disappointing end. Under the leadership of charismatic coach Adrian Siemieniec, the "Pride of Podlasie" won third place in the league, reached the quarter-finals of the European Conference League (ECL) and lifted the Polish Super Cup, although their dreams of defending the championship title ultimately came to nothing. Let's take a closer look at this emotional journey.
The Ekstraklasa started like a fairy tale for Jagiellonia – a full set of victories in the first four rounds lifted them to the leader's seat. As it soon turned out, unfortunately Jaga did not take the lead in the league again this season. After only three rounds of leadership, they fell from the first position and watched their rivals' backs until the end of the league campaign.
The adventure in European cups did not promise success at the beginning. The Champions League qualifiers ended in a clear defeat to Bodø/Glimt (1:5 on aggregate), and in the Europa League qualifiers Ajax Amsterdam proved too strong and crushed the Polish champions (1:7 on aggregate). Jaga therefore went down to the Europa Conference League, where new challenges awaited them.
In mid-September, Jagiellonia suffered a painful 0-5 away defeat to Lech Poznań, which was the first serious warning sign. Despite this, the Siemieniec team remained unbeaten until February, although a series of draws slowed its march up the table. In the Polish Cup, Jagiellonia did well – it defeated Chojniczanka (3-1) and Olimpia Grudziądz (3-0), advancing to the quarterfinals.
In the Conference League, Jagiellonia surprised the fans. A sensational win against FC Copenhagen away (2:1, goal in injury time) gave the team confidence and hope for advancing to the next round. Jagiellonia did not disappoint and went through the group stage, winning 3 out of 6 matches, which secured its advancement to the knockout stage.
The spring round in Ekstraklasa started off promisingly. The key 2:1 win against Lech Poznań in the return match allowed Jagiellonia to get within 2 points of the leader. In the Polish Cup, however, the adventure ended in the quarterfinals – Legia Warszawa, the later winner, proved too strong (1:3). In the Conference League, Jagiellonia continued its good streak, eliminating TSC Backa Topol (6:2 on aggregate) and Cercle Brugge (3:2 on aggregate).
In April, Jagiellonia won the Polish Super Cup, defeating Wisła Kraków 1-0 at the National Stadium. The winning goal was scored by Miki Villar, which was one of the brightest moments of the season. In the Conference League, the adventure ended in the quarterfinals – Real Betis, the Spanish giant, proved too strong (1-4 on aggregate). Pululu, with 8 goals in the competition, became the top scorer of the LKE, which was a great honor for Jagiellonia.
However, spring brought disappointment in Ekstraklasa. A series of five matches with only 4 points ruined the chances of defending the title. The end of the season was weak – many draws and lack of stability. On the plus side, we should count the 2:1 victory over Raków Częstochowa, which greatly complicated the fight for the championship title for Częstochowa. Ultimately, Jaga finished the season in third place, which, considering the reconstruction of the squad and the game on several fronts, should be considered a decent result.
Adrian Siemieniec has proven once again that he is one of the best young coaches in Poland. Despite a huge restructuring of the squad and the pressure of playing on three fronts, he managed to keep the team at the top of the Ekstraklasa and reach the LKE quarterfinals. His tactical flexibility – for example, switching to a 3-5-2 formation in key matches – and the ability to motivate the players were key. In my