Raków Częstochowa has announced a new head coach following a disastrous start to the Ekstraklasa season. Dawid Szulczek takes over the first-team duties, at least temporarily, after Dawid Kroczek left his position.
The club's owner expressed clear dissatisfaction with the team's performance, which saw them lose all four opening league matches. Raków currently sits bottom of the table in 18th place with zero points, having scored five and conceded eleven goals. They are already twelve points behind league leaders Legia Warszawa.
Who is Raków's new head coach?
Dawid Szulczek is an experienced coach holding a UEFA Pro license. He has worked in senior football since 2013, starting as an assistant coach at Górnik Wesoła. His career has since included roles at clubs like Rozwój Katowice, Wigry Suwałki, Stal Mielec, and Wisła Kraków. As a head coach, he led Wigry Suwałki and later Warta Poznań from 2021 to 2024. After a stint at Ruch Chorzów, he joined Raków Częstochowa's coaching staff in January of this year as an assistant to Łukasz Tomczyk and later Dawid Kroczek. During this period, the club reached the Polish Cup final and the UEFA Conference League qualifying play-offs.
The club's official statement highlighted his credentials: "Dawid Szulczek holds a UEFA Pro license. He has worked in senior football since 2013, when he became an assistant coach at Górnik Wesoła." His appointment is described as temporary, with names like Goncalo Feio or Dawid Szwarga rumoured as potential long-term successors.
Why was the manager changed?
The direct cause was a catastrophic run of sporting results. Raków Częstochowa lost all four of their opening Ekstraklasa matches, recording a string of defeats. They lost to Wisła Płock 2-1, to Śląsk Wrocław 2-1, to Cracovia 2-1, and finally to Jagiellonia Białystok 5-2. That last heavy defeat proved to be the final straw. The club also saw its European dreams end, losing to Hajduk Split after extra time. A season without European football presents different challenges, which fans can follow on our fixtures page.
Dawid Kroczek, who took the helm in May of this year after working at the club since July 2025, could not reverse the negative trend. The club's owner publicly voiced his disappointment with this state of affairs.
What is Raków's current league situation?
The Ekstraklasa table after four matchdays tells a clear story. Raków Częstochowa is rock bottom with zero points, zero wins, zero draws, and four losses. Their goal difference stands at 5:11. This means the team has the worst start to the season of any side in the division. The current position and stats for all clubs can be checked in our league standings.
A twelve-point gap to Legia Warszawa after just four games illustrates the scale of the problems. Overcoming such a deficit will be an immensely difficult task for the new coaching team. Their next test is already an away match against the leaders, scheduled for November 7, 2026.
What tasks await Dawid Szulczek?
The new coach's first and most urgent objective is to break the losing streak and secure the team's first points in the league. Szulczek must quickly find a way to stabilise a defence that has leaked eleven goals. His familiarity with the squad from his time as an assistant could be a significant advantage here.
The club has labelled his nomination as temporary, suggesting that talks about a longer-term future are likely happening in the background. The international break gives him some time to implement his ideas. Ahead of the tough test against Legia Warszawa, the team will need to rebuild morale and self-belief. The squad at his disposal is listed on our squad page.
