The CRAZIEST League in Europe Right Now is One You Have Never Watched

A Division Where Nothing Makes Sense

We know you've heard it all before regarding 'crazy title races' and 'shock results'; yet the context of this division puts all these headlines to shame. Let me give you the breakdown: 18 teams separated by 11 points, the 15-time league champions sitting in 17th, and the league leaders have drawn more games than they have won. Welcome to the whirlwind of the Ekstraklasa.

The Breakdown

It is not every day that you see an entire division separated by such fine margins, to the point where the current league leaders have a 2% chance of winning the title. Wisła Płock gained promotion via the play-offs, having finished third in the Polish second tier last season. I doubt anyone would have expected them to be at the top of the league over halfway into the league season. What makes this more impressive is that they have scored fewer goals than any of the sides in the top eight, including current holders Lech Poznań sitting in eighth. Wisła Płock has drawn five consecutive league matches, somehow enough to warrant the first-place spot.

Being top of the table after 18 matches while having more draws than wins to your name is an absolute disgrace 😭

— Toffee Mc (@ToffeeMc1878) January 25, 2026

The chaos continues as we look further down the league table. 13th-placed Lechia Gdańsk has scored the most goals and conceded the most goals and sits just one point above the relegation zone. They were deducted five points by the Polish Federation due to ongoing financial issues surrounding the club, not that anyone would have noticed. They remain just nine points adrift of the European places and ten points off the league leaders.

Meanwhile, what has happened to Legia Warszawa? The most successful club in Polish history and a regular in European competitions is now sitting just above the bottom of the table on goal difference. Having won five league titles in the last ten years and lifting the Polish Super Cup in July, it's hard to say what has gone so wrong this season. They bowed out of this season's UEFA Conference League at the first stage and may well find themselves competing in the second tier of Polish football next season.

Trust in the Youth

The Polish Ekstraklasa has a rule which requires at least one player from the Polish U-21 setup to be fielded for the duration of the match, with at least three in the matchday squad. The incentive is intended to encourage youth development, prioritising Polish talent rather than seeking out European prospects. The rule was officially reintroduced ahead of the 2019/2020 season and has remained a mandatory requirement in Polish football ever since. This is refreshing in preventing the recognised 'bigger sides' in the division from running away at the top; however, the quality in the division has clearly taken a hit.

Due to both injury problems and limited squad depth, sides are having to rely on academy products to make the step up to senior level, despite having limited experience and still developing in their early careers. In effect, we are seeing sides punching above their weight at the top, and 30 points out of a possible 54 being enough to occupy the top spot. The Polish Football Federation (PZPN) has recently announced a comprehensive set of regulations targeted at bolstering youth football. Additional financial incentives will take the pressure off forcing youth players into senior sides. It's likely that we will see a step up in quality now that experienced players are not being dropped for teenagers...

Back in the Market

15th-placed Widzew Łódź have wasted no time in adding to their squad in January. They have spent an estimated £10 million in the winter window, more than all 20 teams in the Spanish La Liga combined. This includes the signing of Polish international Bartłomiej Drągowski, the shot-stopper joining from Greek side Panathinaikos. They also added Ghanaian international Osman Bukari from MLS side Austin FC. The 27-year-old was part of Serbian side FK Crvena Zvezda's Champions League campaign, scoring in defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in the 2023/2024 season.

This is likely to start a trend of Polish sides venturing into the market to strengthen their ranks. While the likes of Jagiellonia Białystok and Lech Poznań remain competitive in European competition this season, we have seen an absence of Polish sides in the Champions League since Legia Warszawa in the 2016/2017 season. Their remarkable draw at home to Real Madrid that year seems a long way away, but we may not need to wait too much longer to see Polish sides competing alongside the top dogs in Europe.

Legia warszawa went from dominating Real Madrid in the UCL to relegation battle

What a fall off https://t.co/4tdduwJejY pic.twitter.com/QdfmFL6fQG

— Matt 🦅 (@mattybnks1) January 26, 2026