It is no surprise that the Polish Cup final of 2025 will be disputed by 20-way winners Legia Warsaw, but their opponents Pogon Szczecin chases a first major trophy. All the more remarkable in view of the fact that the club almost went bankrupt earlier this year.
The debts were piled up and the creditors circled. With the electrical accounts unpaid, there were threats to switch off the lights. “The players were not paid either,” Tan Kesler tells Sky Sports. “The club was literally 18 hours away from losing its permit.”
Kesler, the former vice-chairman of Hull City, is a Turkish businessman who helped to reverse things as the new Chief Executive alongside owner and President Alex Haditaghi. Even now they acknowledge that much still depends on Friday's cup final.
“The cup final will determine our future and fate.”
Despite the contrast in cutlery between the two clubs, Pogon has a chance. Legia is the more famous name, which recently participated with Chelsea over two legs, but Pogon is actually above them in the Ekstraklasa table – this plays fourth in fifth place.
“The team is a special group of boys. They have been committed because of the previous financial and management problems. When we entered, we actually gave them the right support. Their survival instinct has become a focus to do something special.”
For Kesler, the situation he inherited was gloomy because those players had become unpaid for two months, there was a risk that they were walking away. “That was stressful. For example, the MLS transmission window was open. Some could have continued for free.”
He explains: “Everything became unmanageable. The competition was on Saturday. On Thursday, the creditors sent a final notification and said they cut the electric. The cleaning and security companies said they would not provide their services.
“In the English terms, the club was about to go into administration. That is when we came in. We literally had 12 sleepless nights. You buy a club without lights, but within a few days we had paid more than € 2.5 million in bills. We had the fire out.”
The challenge now is to help Pogon to fulfill their potential. The club was founded in 1948 and had its ups and downs – “all the way to the fourth division and back” – but the sold -out crowds of more than 20,000 reveal the passion that exists and the possibilities.
“It's hard to create a fan base,” says Kesler. “But here we play for an audience of 21,000 capacity since we have taken over. It is rare to find this kind of support. That is the main reason why we came in. We have a two -year stadium worth € 200 million.”
There is a temporary employment deal that produces considerable income. “Poland is an emerging market.” And there is an impressive academy that offers the prospect to develop their own players. If Pogon can protect European football, the platform will be there.
“The city has placed a considerable amount of money from the taxpayers to improve football here. Our Academy facility is brilliant. We produce many players. We are close to Berlin but far away from Warsaw, so many of the children in the area want to play for us.
“There were financial challenges for the academy, but we have solved them. Recruitment will be the key. We make many changes. If we improve how players are produced here, we can make them suitable for the merchants in England, Italy and Spain.
“Our recipe will be to sell one player of the academy every year – but not to be forced to sell. We want to give young and ambitious players the opportunity to play in larger competitions. The chance of playing in Europe provides more income to invest in the club and in players.”
It is talking about changing the playing style “to make the club more attractive” who will resonate with supporters of Hull City who appreciated Ksler's work when they insist on promotion to the Premier League with Liam Rosenior as head coach.
But when Hull owner Acun Ilicali decided to abandon the services of Rosenior at the end of last season, to replace him with the German coach Tim Walter, the things quickly unraveled. Kesler left in October last year. Now Hull is confronted with relegation to League One.
“Liam is a great coach,” Kesler acknowledges. “We have worked countless hours to bring in many good players, such as Fabio Carvalho, Jaden Philogene, Liam Delap. But then the decision was made – and I was part of it – to follow a different route.
“We had to form a new team with a different style. It was very difficult. Tim is very good, but he wanted to change everything very quickly. The fans support the first two years, but I will probably get a lot of criticism for that period. It just didn't work.
“I never regret things, I try to take the lessons of it. But for the good or bad, I know I worked for 17 hours of days. I moved there to understand the culture and it was a privilege to be part of that community. My son is born in Hull, so it has a sentimental value for me.”
He is optimistic that he can succeed in Pogon instead. “I feel that the culture and tradition here are a supplement to our philosophy.” The sale of season card has doubled. From the literal darkness of the winter months, Pogon's future looks clear again this spring.
“The debts are deleted and everyone is paid,” says Kesler. “Do we have more problems? Yes. Do we point out them?
“We work every day to make everyone believe that we can achieve this for the first time in the history of our club, that this will not be pain, but a chance. We want to come to Europe. We want that first trophy. We try to make it complete.”