Why the Polish league has become the most exciting in Europe

The result of all this was a bizarrely even league.

The Ekstraklasa has had three new winners in the last decade, and five different winners in the last seven years.

Zaglebie, the league leaders until recently, is from tiny Lubin, whose 70,000 inhabitants rank outside the top 50 largest cities in Poland by population. They finished 15th last season, just one place above the relegation zone.

Legia Warsaw, the country’s biggest and most successful club, is just above the relegation zone. Last season they reached the Conference League quarter-final stage.

This season, big-spending Widzew Lodz have signed the three most expensive players in Ekstraklasa history according to Transfermarkt, including Ghana international Osman Bukari from Austin FC for a reported £4.8m. They are currently in the bottom three.

However, is the Ekstraklasa’s unpredictability really a good thing? The head of Canal+ is not entirely convinced, as it is viewed through the lens of long-term sustainability.

His model is clear: financially stable clubs, smart selling, developing talent and regularly reaching at least the Europa League quarter-finals within five or six years.

Ultimately, he wants Polish teams in the Champions League group stage as the norm, not a surprise.

For him, this means backing the best-run clubs – regardless of history – to compete in Europe. “For sure,” Kolodziejczyk said. “What’s the point of a competitive league if we don’t have any teams left in Europe by the end of March?”