Wisla Krakow vs MKS Cracovia

June 12, 2022, by Toby Banks

The Polish Holy War - Wisla Krakow vs MKS Cracovia

There is nothing more common in football than rivalries between specific teams. This situation happens in every league on the planet, on all continents. Each country has rivalries that stand out and exceed the excitement and expectation generated by regular matches. So, a country with a great football tradition like Poland does not escape having great rivalries in its league. However, the case of Poland is very complex. We all know how that country was affected during the Second World War and its recovery.

Polish Holy War

As for Polish football, the situation is also complex. Great Polish players have been part of relevant international teams. But something unfortunate has characterized Polish football in recent years: becoming one of the countries with the highest rate of violence in European football. This distinction is unfavorable for the Polish league, sponsors, and organizers of international and local tournaments. But there is a rivalry in Polish football that is unmatched. Let's forget the great classics between famous teams. What happens in the so-called Krakow Derby is an event that involves history, politics, and a lot of suffering. No match in the football world has such a dramatic and serious character as this one. And the reasons are plenty.

Two teams, Wisla Krakow and KS Krakow, meet in what has been called Swieta Wojna (Holy War). Indeed, we are not exaggerating when we say it is the derby with the most confrontations, violence, and chaos in the world. This match goes far beyond the conflict of two teams. Here, what is at stake is the history of a country like Poland against the Nazi horror. The war between the two teams began in the same year that the two clubs were founded: the year 1906. Since its inception, Wisla Krakow established a policy of not allowing Jewish players to be part of the team, considering them an inferior race. While KS Cracovia opened the door to Jews and other minorities, immediately creating a dispute between the two teams. Geographically, the distance that separates the headquarters of both clubs is very short. Thus, this has facilitated the occurrence of many wild confrontations between the hardcore followers of each team. There have been injuries, looting, burning vehicles, and many other disasters in many of these incidents.

The truth is that, beyond football, both teams have become banners of the political-social ideologies of their followers. This fact has created a gap impossible to close between those who support the left and those who support the far right. For example, several years ago, it was a big problem for these teams to participate in an international tournament. The sponsors and owners of other clubs refused to admit them, thanks to the chaotic fame of their followers. Fortunately, it has been almost a decade since the last extremely violent event occurred between both teams' fans. Still, everything seems to be explosive in each match, as if it has happened many times in the past.

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