Widzew Łódź's new head coach, Mateusz Stolarski, earned a point on his debut, guiding his side to a 1-1 draw away at Legia Warszawa only days after taking charge of the Łódź club.
Widzew's board surprised many by replacing Aleksandar Vuković with Stolarski just days before the match against Legia at the Łazienkowska Stadium in Warsaw. The new coach had overseen only two training sessions with the squad before sending his team out for the game.
The point came with an unusual assist. Legia midfielder Rafał Augustyniak put the hosts ahead, only for the same player to level the score two minutes later by turning the ball into his own net past goalkeeper Otto Hindrich. The result left Widzew Łódź and Legia Warszawa sharing the points at 1-1.
Widzew Łódź and Legia Warszawa are two of Poland's most successful clubs and both compete in the Ekstraklasa, the country's top football division. The decision to appoint Stolarski was made by Łukasz Masłowski, who had recently joined the Łódź club.
Dawid Szymczak, a journalist with Sport.pl, said no far-reaching conclusions could be drawn from a coach's first match, but that the performance against Legia had been quite promising and could serve as a solid foundation for further progress.
Stolarski on his first game in charge
Speaking at his post-match press conference, Stolarski said he was satisfied with the way his team played and with the number of chances it created, adding that Widzew could have tipped the balance of the match in its favour. He said there was some disappointment because the team had wanted all three points, but that Legia had to be respected for taking the lead and creating further chances of its own. He added that the draw was fair to both sides, even though Widzew had come close to more.
Timing of the appointment
Stolarski also explained why he chose to take charge only two days before facing Legia. He said such a match allowed him to gather the most information about a squad, covering its mental state, its preparation, its courage and its footballing quality. After two days of training and the game itself, he said he believed the squad had significant potential, and that time and stability would now work in the team's favour.
Stolarski said Widzew's worst spell lasted only until Legia's opening goal, and that his players had shown desire but had been playing as though carrying a heavy backpack, lacking lightness. He said the team produced its best move of the match once it had nothing left to lose, and from that point became a difficult opponent for Legia. He said he respected the draw but still felt some frustration, given how many chances Widzew had created.
The draw lifted Widzew Łódź to 11th place in the table on eight points from eight matches. In their last game before the international break, Stolarski's side will host Wieczysta Kraków on Friday, September 18, at 18:00.
