Holy War (Kraków)

The Holy War

Wisła Kraków supporters displaying banner
"Army of the White Star", 2011

Location| Kraków
Teams| Wisła Kraków
KS Cracovia
First meeting| 20 September 1908
Statistics
Most wins| Wisła Kraków (85-60-42)

The Holy War (Polish: Święta Wojna), also known as the Kraków derby (Polish: derby Krakowa), is a rivalry in Polish football between Wisła Kraków and KS Cracovia, the two biggest clubs in Kraków and reportedly the oldest in Poland, both founded in 1906.[1] The term Holy War was coined by the defender from KS Cracovia, Ludwik Gintel. It is also the theme of a song devoted to their never-ending shenanigans, played by Andrusy.

## Highlights

[edit]

The earliest extant records of the Holy War originate from the newspaper published on 20 September 1908 informing that the match played at Błonia Park between the two teams resulted in a 1:1 draw.[2] Earlier matches were also reported, but their results are missing from archives of the local media. The first competition in accordance with the 1904 official FIFA standards, took place on 8 May 1913 at the Cracovia stadium in Kraków, with the home team winning over Wisła 2:1.

The Holy War is considered the most intense rivalry in Poland and one of the most intense in all of Europe. Despite the fact that the two stadiums are less than a kilometer away, the fans are two bitter rivals against each other, often resulting in fights between them as well as the police.[1]

## Clubs

[edit]

Cracovia and Wisła Kraków are two of the oldest still existing football clubs in Poland.[3]

Club comparison

Cracovia  |  | Wisła Kraków
13 June 1906
| Date founded | September 1906

(first championship – 1921) | Champions of Poland | 13
(first championship – 1927)
1 | Polish Cup | 5

1 | Polish Super Cup | 1
44 | Seasons played in Ekstraklasa | 81
21 August 1921 | Debut in the competition for the Polish championship | 12 August 1923
25 March 1928 | Debut in Ekstraklasa | 3 April 1927
2 | Top goalscorers in Ekstraklasa | 20
Ekstraklasa | Current league level (2022/2023) | I liga

Cracovia stadium
(Capacity: 15,114) | Stadium |
Wisła Kraków stadium
(Capacity: 33,326)

## All-time results

[edit]

| Season | Competition | Date | Home team | Result | Away team

|
|
|
|
|

1934–35 | I Liga | 05-05-1935 | Wisła Kraków | 4 – 0 | KS Cracovia
I Liga | 08-09-1935 | KS Cracovia | 5 – 0 | Wisła Kraków
1936–37 | I Liga | 27-05-1937 | Wisła Kraków | 1 – 1 | KS Cracovia
I Liga | 05-09-1937 | KS Cracovia | 1 – 0 | Wisła Kraków
1937–38 | I Liga | 01-05-1938 | Wisła Kraków | 2 – 2 | KS Cracovia
I Liga | 02-10-1938 | KS Cracovia | 2 – 1 | Wisła Kraków
1938–39 | I Liga | 07-05-1939 | Wisła Kraków | 5 – 1 | KS Cracovia
1947–48 | I Liga | 06-06-1948 | Wisła Kraków | 0 – 2 | KS Cracovia
I Liga | 31-10-1948 | KS Cracovia | 1 – 1 | Wisła Kraków
I Liga Playoffs | 05-12-1948 | KS Cracovia | 3 – 1 | Wisła Kraków
1948–49 | I Liga | 26-05-1949 | Wisła Kraków | 0 – 1 | KS Cracovia
I Liga | 15-09-1949 | KS Cracovia | 0 – 0 | Wisła Kraków
1949–50 | I Liga | 22-06-1950 | Wisła Kraków | 1 – 0 | KS Cracovia
I Liga | 10-09-1950 | KS Cracovia | 1 – 3 | Wisła Kraków
1950–51 | I Liga | 22-06-1951 | KS Cracovia | 0 – 0 | Wisła Kraków
I Liga | 02-09-1951 | Wisła Kraków | 5 – 0 | KS Cracovia
1952–53 | I Liga | 12-04-1953 | KS Cracovia | 4 – 2 | Wisła Kraków
I Liga | 08-10-1953 | Wisła Kraków | 3 – 0 | KS Cracovia
1953–54 | I Liga | 20-06-1954 | KS Cracovia | 0 – 0 | Wisła Kraków
I Liga | 31-10-1954 | Wisła Kraków | 1 – 1 | KS Cracovia
1955–56 | Puchar Polski | 20-11-1955 | Wisła Kraków | 3 – 1 | KS Cracovia
1957–58 | I Liga | 20-04-1958 | Wisła Kraków | 1 – 2 | KS Cracovia
I Liga | 14-08-1958 | KS Cracovia | 1 – 1 | Wisła Kraków
1958–59 | I Liga | 20-11-1966 | KS Cracovia | 0 – 1 | Wisła Kraków
I Liga | 13-09-1959 | Wisła Kraków | 2 – 3 | KS Cracovia
1961–62 | I Liga | 11-06-1961 | Wisła Kraków | 1 – 0 | KS Cracovia
I Liga | 24-09-1961 | KS Cracovia | 0 – 1 | Wisła Kraków
1966–67 | I Liga | 20-11-1966 | KS Cracovia | 1 – 2 | Wisła Kraków
I Liga | 10-06-1967 | Wisła Kraków | 3 – 0 | KS Cracovia
1969–70 | I Liga | 24-09-1969 | KS Cracovia | 2 – 3 | Wisła Kraków
I Liga | 24-05-1970 | Wisła Kraków | 2 – 0 | KS Cracovia
1982–83 | I Liga | 11-09-1982 | Wisła Kraków | 0 – 0 | KS Cracovia
Puchar Polski | 22-09-1982 | KS Cracovia | 2 – 2 p | Wisła Kraków
I Liga | 23-04-1983 | KS Cracovia | 2 – 1 | Wisła Kraków
1983–84 | I Liga | 13-08-1983 | Wisła Kraków | 0 – 0 | KS Cracovia
I Liga | 17-03-1984 | KS Cracovia | 0 – 0 | Wisła Kraków

| Season | Competition | Date | Home team | Result | Away team

|
|
|
|
|

1995–96 | II Liga | 24-09-1995 | Wisła Kraków | 0 – 1 | KS Cracovia
II Liga | 15-05-1996 | KS Cracovia | 0 – 2 | Wisła Kraków
2004–05 | I Liga | 02-10-2004 | Wisła Kraków | 0 – 0 | KS Cracovia
I Liga | 05-05-2005 | KS Cracovia | 0 – 1 | Wisła Kraków
2005–06 | Ekstraklasa | 22-11-2005 | Wisła Kraków | 3 – 0 | KS Cracovia
Ekstraklasa | 11-03-2006 | KS Cracovia | 1 – 1 | Wisła Kraków
2006–07 | Ekstraklasa | 27-10-2006 | Wisła Kraków | 3 – 0 | KS Cracovia
Ekstraklasa | 13-05-2007 | KS Cracovia | 0 – 0 | Wisła Kraków
2007–08 | Ekstraklasa | 20-10-2007 | KS Cracovia | 1 – 2 | Wisła Kraków
Ekstraklasa | 20-04-2008 | Wisła Kraków | 2 – 1 | KS Cracovia
2008–09 | Ekstraklasa | 31-08-2008 | KS Cracovia | 1 – 1 | Wisła Kraków
Ekstraklasa Cup | 09-10-2008 | Wisła Kraków | 2 – 0 | KS Cracovia
Ekstraklasa Cup | 26-11-2008 | KS Cracovia | 0 – 0 | Wisła Kraków
Ekstraklasa | 22-03-2009 | Wisła Kraków | 4 – 1 | KS Cracovia
2009–10 | Ekstraklasa | 22-11-2009 | Wisła Kraków | 0 – 1 | KS Cracovia
Ekstraklasa | 11-05-2010 | KS Cracovia | 1 – 1 | Wisła Kraków
2010–11 | Ekstraklasa | 05-11-2010 | KS Cracovia | 0 – 1 | Wisła Kraków
Ekstraklasa | 15-05-2011 | Wisła Kraków | 1 – 0 | KS Cracovia
2011–12 | Ekstraklasa | 06-11-2011 | KS Cracovia | 1 – 0 | Wisła Kraków
Ekstraklasa | 30-04-2012 | Wisła Kraków | 1 – 0 | KS Cracovia
2013–14 | Ekstraklasa | 21-09-2013 | KS Cracovia | 1 – 1 | Wisła Kraków
Ekstraklasa | 23-02-2014 | Wisła Kraków | 3 – 1 | KS Cracovia
2014–15 | Ekstraklasa | 28-09-2014 | KS Cracovia | 1 – 0 | Wisła Kraków
Ekstraklasa | 21-03-2015 | Wisła Kraków | 2 – 1 | KS Cracovia
2015–16 | Ekstraklasa | 24-07-2015 | KS Cracovia | 1 – 1 | Wisła Kraków
Ekstraklasa | 29-11-2015 | Wisła Kraków | 1 – 2 | KS Cracovia
2016–17 | Ekstraklasa | 05-08-2016 | KS Cracovia | 2 – 1 | Wisła Kraków
Ekstraklasa | 10-12-2016 | Wisła Kraków | 1 – 1 | KS Cracovia
2017–18 | Ekstraklasa | 12-08-2017 | Wisła Kraków | 2 – 1 | KS Cracovia
Ekstraklasa | 13-12-2017 | KS Cracovia | 1 – 4 | Wisła Kraków
2018–19 | Ekstraklasa | 07-10-2018 | KS Cracovia | 0 – 2 | Wisła Kraków
Ekstraklasa | 17-03-2019 | Wisła Kraków | 3 – 2 | KS Cracovia
2019–20 | Ekstraklasa | 29-09-2019 | Wisła Kraków | 0 – 1 | KS Cracovia
Ekstraklasa | 03-03-2020 | KS Cracovia | 0 – 2 | Wisła Kraków

* 1982 Puchar Polski match ended 2 - 2, Wisła won 5 - 3 on penalties.

## Players on both sides

[edit]

In the following, all players are listed who were under contract with the first team of both clubs from the first season played in the Polish First League in 1927.

Name | Position | Wisła Kraków | KS Cracovia

|
|
|

Radosław Cierzniak | Goal | 2015–2016 | 2012
Radosław Matusiak | Forward | 2008 | 2009–2011
Marek Motyka | Defense | 1978–1990 | 1991–1993
Andrzej Niedzielan | Forward | 2007–2009 | 2011
Łukasz Sosin | Forward | 2000–2001 | 1996–1997
Henryk Szymanowski | Defense | 1971–1983 | 1983–1985
Kazimierz Węgrzyn | Defense | 1998–2000 | 2003–2005

## Notes and references

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Święta Wojna (The Holy War)". Wisla Krakow - Cracovia Krakow. Footballderbies.com. 2012. Archived from the original on September 14, 2012. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
2. ^ Editorial (September 2, 2012). "Wiślackie Kalendarium: pierwsze mistrzostwo, pierwszy puchar". Stowarzyszenie Kibiców Wisły Kraków. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
3. ^ LoveKraków. "Cracovia czy Wisła? "Święta Wojna" – na stadionach i ulicach". LoveKraków. Retrieved 1 August 2020.

## External links

[edit]

* Wisla.Krakow.pl
* Cracovia.pl
* FootballDerbies.com