Cracovia Kraków have confirmed Bartosz Grzelak's departure and appointed Aleksandar Vuković to replace him, moving quickly after the Kraków derby defeat. The new coach arrives with the club 15th in the Ekstraklasa on 12 points from 14 rounds, and his contract runs until the end of the 2027-28 season with an option for another year.
Interia Sport carried the club board's statement, translated from Polish: "The board of KS Cracovia S.A. informs that it has decided to end cooperation with coach Bartosz Grzelak. We wish coach Bartosz Grzelak success and achievements in his further professional career. The new coach of the first team will be presented in the near future".
That announcement was followed quickly by Vuković's arrival. Interia Sport also reported the club statement, translated from Polish: "The 47-year-old coach has signed a contract with the Oldest Sports Club in Poland until the end of the 2027/2028 season, with an option to extend it by another year".
The situation Cracovia inherit under Vuković
The club's move is not hard to explain on the results alone. Cracovia are 15th with 12 points after 14 rounds, and they have lost three of their last five league games.
The immediate backdrop was the Kraków derby on Friday 6 November. Sources cited by Interia Sport said the game ended 2:1, but that score has not been independently match-verified here, so the firmer point is the defeat itself and the speed of the club's reaction to it.
Grzelak had won only three matches with the team. In a season where Cracovia are already looking over their shoulder, that return left little margin for patience.
The timing also makes practical sense. The club said Vuković will start during the international break, which gives him at least a short window before the next league fixture.
Vuković's contract and Ekstraklasa background
Cracovia have gone for a familiar Ekstraklasa appointment rather than a gamble. Vuković has managed 177 Ekstraklasa matches as a head coach and has already worked at Legia Warszawa, Piast Gliwice and Widzew Łódź.
He had been out of work for exactly 2 months after leaving Widzew Łódź, so this is a quick return. Given where Cracovia are in the table, experience in the league looks like the main attraction.
There has been mixed wording elsewhere on the length of his deal, but the club version is the one that counts here: until the end of the 2027-28 season, with a one-year option. That gives Cracovia more than a short-term firefighting appointment on paper, even if the first job is plainly to stop the slide.
The wider staff picture changed too. GOL24 reported that the club announced work with the first team is ending for Grzegorz Mokry and Patric Jildefalk, though there has been no need to stretch that beyond the wording of the statement.
The immediate task before Jagiellonia
Results will decide how this appointment is judged, and Vuković does not have long before the first test arrives. Cracovia's next league match is on Saturday 21 November against Jagiellonia Białystok.
That game comes with the club still 15th and stuck on 12 points after 14 rounds. Vuković has been hired to change that quickly.
FAQ
Why did Cracovia appoint Aleksandar Vuković now?
Cracovia moved after Bartosz Grzelak's exit, which followed poor results and the Kraków derby defeat on Friday 6 November. The club are 15th in the Ekstraklasa with 12 points from 14 matches, and Grzelak had won only three matches with the team.
How long is Aleksandar Vuković's contract at Cracovia?
The club statement version is that Vuković has signed until the end of the 2027-28 season, with an option to extend by another year. That is the wording carried in the club's announcement reported by Interia Sport.
What does Aleksandar Vuković inherit at Cracovia?
He takes over a side sitting 15th in the Ekstraklasa with 12 points after 14 rounds. Cracovia have also lost three of their last five league games, which gives him an immediate fight near the bottom end of the table.
When is Aleksandar Vuković's first league match as Cracovia coach?
Cracovia's next league match is scheduled for Saturday 21 November against Jagiellonia Białystok. He is due to start during the international break, so that game is set to be his first league fixture in charge.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →
