28 May 2007, by Sean Gillen

Rui Miguel lifts Polish championship title

Legia Warsaw 1-2 Zaglebie Lubin

Rui Miguel has become the latest Portuguese footballer to win a national championship after Zaglebie Lubin beat Legia Warsaw at the Polish Army Stadium on Saturday.

Zaglebie came from behind to secure all three points and maintain their one-point lead over GKS Belchatow, securing what is only their second ever league title and their first for sixteen years.

With defending champions Legia in third ahead of the match, it looked a tough match for the championship hopefuls, and things became even more complicated when the hosts took the lead just after the half hour mark.

Legia won possession in midfield and embarked on a rapid counter attacking, leading to forward Bartlomiej Grzelak turning his marker inside the box and clipping his finish against the post, with Piotr Wlodarczyk scoring from the rebound.

Belchatow’s comfortable 2-0 away win at bottom placed Pogon meant that Zaglebie needed a win to clinch the title, and the team from the south-west of Poland drew level on the stroke of half time when Colombian defender Manuel Arboleda’s header from a corner crashed in off the underside of the crossbar.

Despite his side getting back on level terms going into the half time break, Zaglebie boss Czeslaw Michniewicz introduced Rui Miguel for the second half. The Portuguese forward came off the bench to score the equalising goal last weekend as Zaglebie beat Widzew Lodz to go top of the Super League.

Related article: Rui Miguel scores in crucial win


With fifteen minutes left to play the scores were still level, but Zaglebie managed to snatch a winner in the 75th minute. Lukasz Piszczek latched onto a headed flick-on to break down the left side of the area, before cutting the ball back into the danger area for Michal Stasiak, who took a touch before coolly side-footing the ball past Arsenal-bound goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.

There was still time for a dramatic late refereeing call after Lukasz Surma had headed in from a corner in the 85th minute for Legia. Referee Hubert Siejewicz initially awarded the goal, only to change his mind after talking to his assistant.

Zaglebie finished on 62 points from their 30 matches in the Super League, with 18 wins, 8 draws and 4 losses over the course of the season.

Legia Warsaw:
Fabiański, Bronowicki, Szala, Choto, Edson, Smoliński (Radović, 71), Vuković (Janczyk, 76), Surma, Roger, Grzelak (Korzym, 53), Wlodarczyk

Zaglebie Lubin:
Vaclavik, Bartczak, Stasiak, Alunderis (Mierzejewski, 61), Arboleda, Lobodziński, Iwański, Bartczak, Pietroń (Kolendowicz, 37), Piszczek, Jackiewicz (Rui Miguel, 46)

Goals:
[1-0] Wlodarczyk, 31
[1-1] Arboleda, 45
[1-2] Stasiak, 75