Korona Kielce
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Korona Kielce ({{#invoke:IPA|main}}, Korona – Crown – symbol of club and city, Kielce – name of city where club is based) is a Polish professional football club based in Kielce, competing in Ekstraklasa in the 2025–26 season. From 2002 to 2008, the club belonged to a Polish holding company Kolporter Holding and achieved its greatest success – winning promotion to the top tier in 2005. Since then, Korona has spent 17 seasons in the Polish football top level (as of 2024–25). In the 2006–07 season, Korona played in the final of the Polish Cup.
Honours
League
- Ekstraklasa
- I liga
- Champions: 2004–05
- II liga (group IV)
- Champions: 1989–90, 1996–97, 2003–04
Cup
- Polish Cup
- Ekstraklasa Cup
- Quarter-finalists: 2007–08
Youth teams
- Polish U-19 Championship
- Champions: 2009, 2019
- Runners-up: 1997
History
The club was founded in 1973 after the union of two clubs from Kielce – Iskra and SHL. The new club got its first promotion to the Polish 2nd league in 1975. UnfortunatelyTemplate:According to whom, the team did not play very well and was soon relegated. The next promotion was in 1982. Korona played in the 2nd league until 1990 when it was once again relegated. 1996 brought several changes. Nida Gips from Gacki became the new sponsor and the club's name changed to Miejski Klub Sportowy Sekcja Futbolowa Korona. During the 1998–99 season, Korona again played in the 2nd league but dropped down at the end of the season. In 2000 Korona merged with another club from Kielce – Błękitni Kielce and was renamed to Kielecki Klub Piłkarski Korona.
In 2002, the golden era for Korona had begunTemplate:According to whom. Kolporter became the new sponsor, Krzysztof Klicki the new chairman, and the club's name changed to Kielecki Klub Piłkarski Kolporter Korona. In 2003, the team was again renamed, this time to Sportowa Spólka Akcyjna Kolporter Korona. In 2005 Korona won the 2nd league and for the first time in the club's history was promoted to the Polish premier league.
Korona's first match in the Ekstraklasa was against Cracovia and the final score was 0–0. Korona ended the 2005–06 season fifth in the league table. Prior to the 2006–07 season, at a meeting with supporters, the chairman announced that club would revert to its historical coat of arms. Korona's second season in the Ekstraklasa started off strongly with an away win against Arka Gdynia (3–0). 20 September 2006 was a significant one in Korona's history. After an away victory against Odra Wodzisław Śląski, the club climbed to the top of the league table for the first time in its history although it ended the 2006–07 season in 7th place. Its third and final season in the top division was 2007–08, placing 6th but being relegated for its involvement in match-fixing in the 2003–04 season. In August 2008, Klicki sold the club to the city of Kielce for a nominal fee.
After one year, on 14 July 2009, Korona Kielce was promoted to the Ekstraklasa.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=korona>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In the 2019–20 season, Korona finished in 15th place and were relegated back to I liga.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On 29 May 2022 Korona returned to the Ekstraklasa following a 3–2 win over Chrobry Głogów in the promotion play-off final after the winning goal scored in the final minutes of extra time.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Stadium
In response to Korona's successes and the club owner, Krzysztof Klicki's, affirmation that the club would play in the premier league and battle for European cups, Kielce municipal authorities approved the construction of a new stadium. Unfortunately, the stadium turned out to be much too small. Because of this the club played its first round in the highest division at its old stadium (currently used by reserves and youth teams) to permit further work on the new facility.
Only eighteen months after the start of the building project, the keys of the new stadium were officially handed to the club. The first premier league match was played on 1 April 2006 against Zagłębie Lubin.
The Korona stadium, although it stands on the same site as an earlier stadium, is an entirely new facility, built according to UEFA recommendations and modern design ideas. In this way it differs from most other football stadiums in Poland which were built during the communist era or earlier and only slightly modernized to meet basic UEFA standards.
Kielce stadium can seat 15,550 fans, however, due to Polish regulations, which require a buffer zone between local fans and the visitors section, league matches can only accommodate 13,823 Korona fans and 777 visiting fans. However, on one occasion the stadium was full to capacity during a league match. This occurred during the 2006–07 season when fans of visiting club Legia Warsaw were prohibited from entering due to the vast number of their 'red brigade' supporters who made the trip down to watch their club in Kielce.
Pitch dimensions are 105 x 68 m, and the entire surface is heated. Automatic sprinklers water the pitch in between match days. Kielce stadium has a complete system of monitoring, which could serve as a model for other Polish stadiums. Korona's stadium is also considered by the Polish Football Association for international games.
Since 2006, when the club moved to the most modern stadium in Poland, it often had one of the highest attendance statistics in the Polish league,Template:Citation needed although these numbers have declined since the club's relegation at the end of the 2007–08 season.
Club crest
A new club crest was introduced in 2002, featuring a redesigned coat of arms. However, many fans were disappointed by the removal of the beloved black crown from the emblem.Template:Citation needed
Before the 2006–07 season, the chairman announced in a meeting with supporters that the club would return to the historical coat of arms. Thanks to the fans and good will of the chairman, Korona again has the crown in her coat of arms.Template:Citation needed
Ownership
In April 2017, former German international footballer Dieter Burdenski became the majority owner of the club after purchasing 72% of the club shares, and subsequently signed his son Fabian in June that year.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2020, the city of Kielce acquired Burdenski's shares and became the sole owner of the club.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In March 2025, Kielce sold 99% of its shares to a private limited company Korona 4ever, run by local businessman Łukasz Maciejczyk, and pledged to provide the club with 2.3 million PLN annually until 2030.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Supporters
Supporters of Korona are some of the most enthusiastic in the Ekstraklasa and have received many awards for their artistic match 'frames'. In the spring round of 2006–07, Korona Kielce fans were awarded 5 times in 8 matches for their superb 'frames'.Template:Citation needed
Korona supporters' tireless cheering for their team often helps their team to victories. The most faithful fans are seated in the {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Template:Translation) which contains 500 – 2,000 people.
On 14 June 2006, the {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Template:Translation) was officially registered at a Kielce court. Official appointing of Korona Kielce fans had become a fact. This association brings together representatives of various Korona supporters groups.
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The association is a partner for the club and many institutions, which it wants to cooperate with. The fans are invaluable in the creation of memorable football events, and the association has an important role in increasing fan input on football life in Korona. The most important role of the association however is to improve the quality of support.
The association also organizes special trains and coaches for fans for away matches. It also organizes events promoting the Club such as "Golden-bloody stadium in Kielce", "Small toy – children's benefit" (fans donated toys to an orphanage), "Action Banner" (a lot of flags and banners were sewed). In short, the association has introduced a new supporting style at Korona matches which will attract even more fans to the stadium on Ściegiennego street.
Korona Kielce fans have a friendship with fans of Stal Mielec and Sandecja Nowy Sącz.
Their biggest rivals are KSZO Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski with whom they contest the Holy Cross Province derby. Other fierce rivals are Radomiak Radom and Wisła Kraków.
Korona Kielce II
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} The club operates a reserve team.
Season to season
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Players
Current squad
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Out on loan
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Notable players
The following players received international caps for their respective countries. Players whose name is listed in bold represented their countries while playing for Korona Kielce. Template:Col-begin Template:Col-3
- Poland
- Template:Flagicon Grzegorz Bonin (2005–08)
- Template:Flagicon Piotr Celeban (2007–08)
- Template:Flagicon Radosław Cierzniak (2007–10)
- Template:Flagicon Paweł Golański (2005–07) (2010–15)
- Template:Flagicon Artur Jędrzejczyk (2010)
- Template:Flagicon Marcin Kaczmarek (2005–08)
- Template:Flagicon Arkadiusz Kaliszan (2004–06)
- Template:Flagicon Jacek Kiełb (2006–10, 2011–12, 2013–15, 2016–18, 2020–23)
- Template:Flagicon Wojciech Kowalewski (2007–08)
- Template:Flagicon Marcin Kuś (2007–08)
- Template:Flagicon Andrzej Niedzielan (2010–11)
- Template:Flagicon Grzegorz Piechna (2004–06)
- Template:Flagicon Piotr Świerczewski (2007–08)
- Template:Flagicon Maciej Wilusz (2015)
- Template:Flagicon Łukasz Załuska (2004–07)
- Template:Flagicon Marcin Żewłakow (2012–13)
- Template:Flagicon Michał Żyro (2019–20)
- Belarus
- Template:Flagicon Yevgeny Shikavka (2022–25)
- Template:Flagicon Dzmitry Verkhawtsow (2016)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Template:Flagicon Vlastimir Jovanović (2010–16)
- Template:Flagicon Adnan Kovačević (2017–20)
- Bulgaria
- Template:Flagicon Iliyan Mitsanski (2007, 2017)
- Template:Flagicon Vladimir Nikolov (2025–)
- Template:Flagicon Viktor Popov (2025–)
- Canada
- Template:Flagicon Milan Borjan (2017)
- Template:Flagicon Marcus Godinho (2023–25)
- Template:Flagicon Charlie Trafford (2015–17)
- Template:Flagicon Dominick Zator (2023–25)
- Costa Rica
- Template:Flagicon Felicio Brown Forbes (2018–19)
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Template:Flagicon Michal Papadopoulos (2019–20)
- Estonia
- Template:Flagicon Ken Kallaste (2016–19)
- Template:Flagicon Sander Puri (2011)
- Finland
- Template:Flagicon Petteri Forsell (2020, 2024)
- France
- Template:Flagicon Olivier Kapo (2014–15)
- Georgia
- Template:Flagicon Vato Arveladze (2018–20)
- Template:Flagicon Nika Kacharava (2017–18)
- Israel
- Template:Flagicon Yoav Hofmayster (2023–25)
- Kazakhstan
- Latvia
- Template:Flagicon Aleksandrs Fertovs (2015–16)
- Template:Flagicon Vladislavs Gabovs (2015–17)
- Lithuania
- Template:Flagicon Vytautas Černiauskas (2014–15)
- Template:Flagicon Andrius Skerla (2007–08)
- Moldova
- Template:Flagicon Anatolie Doroș (2005–06)
- Montenegro
- Template:Flagicon Saša Balić (2022–23)
- Template:Flagicon Slobodan Rubežić (2025–)
- New Zealand
- Template:Flagicon Themistoklis Tzimopoulos (2019–21)
- Senegal
- Template:Flagicon Elhadji Pape Diaw (2016–19)
- Serbia
- Template:Flagicon Nemanja Miletić (2019–20)
- Slovakia
- Template:Flagicon Erik Pačinda (2019–20)
- Slovenia
- Template:Flagicon Goran Cvijanović (2017–18)
- Template:Flagicon Tamar Svetlin (2025–)
Managers
- Template:Flagicon Zbigniew Pawlak (1973)
- Template:Flagicon Bogumił Gozdur (1973–77)
- Template:Flagicon Zbigniew Lepczyk (1978)
- Template:Flagicon Marian Szczechowicz (1979)
- Template:Flagicon Wojciech Niedźwiedzki (1979–80)
- Template:Flagicon Antoni Hermanowicz (1980–83)
- Template:Flagicon Józef Golla (1983–84)
- Template:Flagicon Czesław Palik (1 July 1984 – 30 June 1985)
- Template:Flagicon Czesław Fudalej (1985)
- Template:Flagicon Witold Sokołowski (1986)
- Template:Flagicon Antoni Hermanowicz (1986)
- Template:Flagicon Bogumił Gozdur (1986)
- Template:Flagicon Antoni Hermanowicz (1987–88)
- Template:Flagicon Czesław Palik (1 July 1988 – 31 December 1991)
- Template:Flagicon Volodymyr Bulhakov (1992)
- Template:Flagicon Marian Puchalski (1993)
- Template:Flagicon Antoni Hermanowicz (1993)
- Template:Flagicon Marek Parzyszek (1994)
- Template:Flagicon Czesław Palik (1 July 1994 – 30 June 1996)
- Template:Flagicon Włodzimierz Gąsior (1 July 1996 – 30 June 1999)
- Template:Flagicon Stanisław Gielarek (1999)
- Template:Flagicon Antoni Hermanowicz (2000)
- Template:Flagicon Jacek Zieliński I (1 July 2000 – 20 December 2000)
- Template:Flagicon Czesław Palik (1 January 2001 – 30 June 2001)
- Template:Flagicon Robert Orłowski (1 July 2001 – 2002)
- Template:Flagicon Tomasz Muchiński (2002 – 23 September 2002)
- Template:Flagicon Dariusz Wdowczyk (23 September 2002 – 12 December 2004)
- Template:Flagicon Ryszard Wieczorek (13 December 2004 – 7 May 2007)
- Template:Flagicon Jacek Zieliński II (1 July 2007 – 17 May 2008)
- Template:Flagicon Włodzimierz Gąsior (3 June 2008 – 4 May 2009)
- Template:Flagicon Marek Motyka (18 May 2009 – 23 November 2009)
- Template:Flagicon Marcin Gawron (caretaker) (24 November 2009 – 29 November 2009)
- Template:Flagicon Marcin Sasal (29 November 2009 – 12 May 2011)
- Template:Flagicon Włodzimierz Gąsior (interim) (12 May 2011 – 9 June 2011)
- Template:Flagicon Leszek Ojrzyński (1 July 2011 – 5 August 2013)
- Template:Flagicon Sławomir Grzesik (caretaker) (5 August 2013 – 13 August 2013)
- Template:Flagicon Pacheta (13 August 2013 – June 2014)
- Template:Flagicon Ryszard Tarasiewicz (17 June 2014 – 10 June 2015)
- Template:Flagicon Marcin Brosz (25 June 2015 – 30 June 2016)
- Template:Flagicon Tomasz Wilman (30 June 2016 – 10 November 2016)
- Template:Flagicon Maciej Bartoszek (10 November 2016 – 30 June 2017)
- Template:Flagicon Gino Lettieri (1 July 2017 – 31 August 2019)
- Template:Flagicon Mirosław Smyła (16 September 2019 – 6 March 2020)
- Template:Flagicon Maciej Bartoszek (6 March 2020 – 15 April 2021)
- Template:Flagicon Dominik Nowak (16 April 2021 – 29 November 2021)
- Template:Flagicon Leszek Ojrzyński (17 December 2021 – 29 October 2022)
- Template:Flagicon Kamil Kuzera (29 October 2022 – 31 July 2024)
- Template:Flagicon Mariusz Arczewski (caretaker) (31 July 2024 – 8 August 2024)
- Template:Flagicon Jacek Zieliński I (8 August 2024 – present)
See also
References
External links
- Official website Template:In lang
- Unofficial website Template:In lang
- Fan site Template:In lang
- Fans forum Template:In lang
- Template:Facebook
- Template:Twitter
- Template:Instagram
Template:Korona Kielce squad {{#invoke:Navbox|navbox}}