Lechia Gdańsk started the season in the top league horribly. So far, it has recorded only two league victories and it is already clear that it will have to fight for relegation until the very end. The latest defeat only confirmed this. “Lechia play, f*** you,” the fans sang right after the end of the match with Pogoń Szczecin, which ended in a 0:3 defeat. Shortly after this match, Szymon Grabowski lost his job.
Media: He will replace Szymon Grabowski in Lechia Gdańsk. Recently he played a different role in the club
“On Saturday, November 23, 2024, after Lechia Gdańsk lost to Pogoń Szczecin 0:3, the current coach of the first team, Szymon Grabowski, was suspended from his duties as coach. The decision was communicated during a meeting with the Club Management Board. Information on further steps will be provided next week “- provided in an official statement.
Speculations immediately began as to who would be the coach's successor. Portal Meczyki.pl revealed on Monday that Kevin Blackwell will be Grabowski's temporary successor. Radosław Bella will be the assistant. Many fans may be wondering: who exactly is Blackwell? The Englishman has been working at Lechia as a technical director for over a year, and he also holds a UEFA PRO coaching license, which authorizes him to manage a team at the Ekstraklasa level.
The 65-year-old has a lot of experience. However, he last led the team almost two years ago, when he worked for the Thai Nakhonratchasima Mazda FC. He took up the position in February 2022, but left the team after 13 months. Previously, for many years he served as an assistant, among others. in Middlesbrough or Cardiff City.
He never managed to make his debut as a coach in the Premier League, but in the Championship he managed, for example, Leeds United or Sheffield United. In total, he played 216 matches in this division, of which he won 85. Now he will get a chance at Lechia, which has just started looking for a permanent coach anyway. Where? Supposedly in England.
After 16 matches played, the Gdańsk team is in 17th, penultimate place in the Ekstraklasa table with 11 points. Puszcza, which is in 16th place, has the same amount, but will face Widzew Łódź on Monday. Both teams are five points away from leaving the relegation zone. Lechia's next match will take place on Saturday, November 30, when it will face GKS Katowice away.