The final tournament featured teams representing the Lower Silesian, Kuyavian-Pomeranian, Małopolska and Podkarpackie Regional Football Associations. Each of these teams won one match, drew one and lost one. As a result, the final table was not decided by points (everyone had four) or by overall goal difference – that was identical as well. The number of goals scored decided the standings.
That was how things looked at the end of the competition. But if we went back just ten minutes… Małopolska ZPN were leading Dolnośląski ZPN 3–1. The referee pointed to the spot – a penalty after an obvious foul by Mikołaj Łazarowicz. Małopolska’s captain Michał Supel stepped up to the ball, facing Lower Silesia’s captain, Marcin Gąsiorowski.
Had the ball gone into the net, Małopolska would have won the tournament. Had it not gone in, Małopolska would still have won, because at that moment they were the only team with a positive goal difference. However, the football world had not seen anything like what happened at this year’s national UEFA Regions’ Cup qualifiers for years.
The 95th minute: the ball is sent into the Małopolska ZPN penalty area. The entire second half had consisted of inaccurate shots by the opponents or brilliant saves by Szymon Zwijacz, Garbarnia Kraków’s regular goalkeeper. In the sixth minute of stoppage time, however, he conceded for the second time in the match – Daniel Ziółkowski (a resident of Bolesławiec, BKS youth product and currently a player for fourth-tier Iskra Księginice. The popular Ziółek also scored the goal that made it 3–2 in an earlier match against Podkarpacki ZPN – ed.).
And suddenly the entire tournament table had not only the same number of points, but also an identical goal difference. Every match had ended either in a draw or a one-goal victory.
Lower Silesia lost the match 2–3, but that result sent them through. At the stadium in Ząbkowice Śląskie, everyone was now waiting only for the match in Dzierżoniów to finish. The score there did not change – Kuyavian-Pomeranian lost 1–2 to Podkarpacki ZPN. The matter became clear: Lower Silesia had scored six goals, Podkarpackie five, Małopolska four and Kuyavian-Pomeranian three. During the final matches, both Kuyavian-Pomeranian and Małopolska ZPN had at one point led the table virtually. The only team that never led, even for a moment, was Podkarpacki ZPN.
– You have a formula for this tournament – Bartosz Ryt told the hosts after the match, the president of the Małopolska Football Association, following the extraordinary final game.Bartosz Ryt, president of the Małopolska Football Association, said after the incredible final match.
And it is true: more and more regional football associations are approaching the national qualifiers with a professional mindset, but it is Lower Silesia – a two-time European Championship winner and the current continental runner-up – that, in these extraordinary circumstances, become champions of Poland and will play in the next edition of the UEFA Regions’ Cup.
– The entire tournament was something out of a film thriller. Huge congratulations to the players and the staff, regardless of which team they represented. The high level of the competition and of all four regional associations – says Łukasz Czajkowski, president of the Lower Silesian Football Association.
Lower Silesia now face the next stage of the qualifiers, where the players will compete in Turkey. Alongside the hosts, teams representing regions from Romania and Azerbaijan will take part.
– We are champions of Poland – that is the most important thing. I would really like to congratulate the players, because some of them played three 90-minute matches in such difficult conditions. This team has shown that it has tremendous character – concludes Jacek Kołodziejczyk, coach of the Lower Silesia team.
Final tournament table:
- Dolnośląski ZPN 4 pts, goals 6–6
- Podkarpacki ZPN 4 pts, 5–5
- Małopolski ZPN 4 pts, 4–4
- Kujawsko-Pomorski ZPN 4 pts, 3–3
Broadcast of the match Małopolski ZPN – Dolnośląski ZPN: