Raków Częstochowa president Wojciech Cygan has announced a comprehensive review of the club's operations. The decision comes after a disastrous start to the season which has left the team bottom of the Ekstraklasa with just three points from eight matches.
The scouting department will be the first area addressed. "We need to revise the club and its functioning," Cygan said. Talks are set to begin this coming week, with the review process also encompassing other departments. This comes against the backdrop of an ongoing referendum period in Częstochowa concerning the construction of a new stadium.
Club owner Michał Świerczewski, speaking during Thursday's presentation of coach Tomasz Kaczmarek, told fans to prepare for difficult times. He highlighted the need to slow down and begin rebuilding certain aspects of the club. Świerczewski also referenced the stadium project, expressing scepticism about past city declarations and stating he is waiting for tangible results from the authorities. "I would rather say they should realise how difficult the competition with other clubs is, even considering infrastructure and matchday revenue levels," he added.
Raków Częstochowa have managed just one win, zero draws, and seven defeats from their first eight league games. Their most recent result was a 2-3 home loss to Zagłębie Lubin, and their form over the last five matches reads LWLLL. With three points, they trail league leaders Górnik Zabrze by 18 points. Check the current situation in the standings.
The sole bright spot of this early season has been Patryk Makuch, who leads the team's scoring charts with five goals. The 2-1 victory over Motor Lublin in the seventh round, where Makuch scored twice, briefly interrupted the losing streak. The full schedule of upcoming fixtures, including the next away match against 9th-placed Korona Kielce, is available on our fixtures page.
In the context of organisational changes, the name of Tomáš Petrašek, currently playing for FC Hradec Králové, has emerged as a potential candidate for the sporting director role. Former Raków sporting director Samuel Cardenas, who maintains good relations with Michał Świerczewski and previously discussed coaching candidates with the owner, was also present at the match against Motor Lublin.
The club is also dealing with squad issues, with Adriano and Erick Otieno currently sidelined through injury. The current state of the squad can be tracked in our squad list. Raków's immediate task is a difficult away fixture against Korona Kielce this Saturday, September 19th.
Background and full detail: przegladsportowy.onet.pl
