Aleksandar Vuković's first move at Cracovia Kraków was immediate. He signed a contract until the end of the current season on Wednesday, called his staff together and ordered a training match for 12:00 on Friday instead of a free day.
The match will be closed to fans and the media. It is a sharp first message from a coach taking over a side that sits 15th in the Ekstraklasa with 12 points after 14 rounds.
Vuković's first week
Vuković did not arrive talking about settling in slowly. Speaking to GOL24 in comments translated from Polish, he said: "Cracovia is a big, historic club. I am up to date with what is happening throughout the Ekstraklasa. I have my opinion about Cracovia. I believe that it has the potential to be in a different place than it is. We have to work hard. The moment for me as a coach [to take over the team] is very good."
That lines up with the decision to cut the day off and turn training into a match situation straight away. Cracovia have only 12 points from 14 league matches, and the club are coming into a home game against Jagiellonia Białystok on 21 November with no room for a slow start.
The wider reshuffle at the club
The coaching change is part of a broader shake-up around the football department. According to Weszło, Cracovia said in a statement that they ended cooperation with Filip Trubalski as part of changes in the club's structures, and that Mirosław Hajdo was appointed as director of Cracovia Training Center.
There is also a separate version of the Trubalski story in circulation. Piłka Nożna reported that Filip Trubalski has returned to Cracovia's sporting division, while the club statement points to the end of his cooperation and a new role for Hajdo.
What is not in doubt is the urgency around Vuković's first week. Cracovia are 15th, they have 12 points, and their next league match is at home to Jagiellonia on 21 November.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
