Janusz Ślączka returns to Łódź: Everyone wants the best for the club

Janusz Ślączka, after several years of coaching in the PGE Ekstraliga, first with BAYERSYSTEM GKM Grudziądz, and then with KRONO-PLAST WŁÓKNIARZ Częstochowa, decided to step down to a lower league level. The experienced coach will lead ORZEŁ Łódź in the upcoming season, a team he already coached for a total of five years.

Ślączka could not count the previous season as successful. Under his guidance, KRONO-PLAST WŁÓKNIARZ, where he finished work in mid-November, took seventh place – not enough to advance to the next stage of the competition. Now, however, he returns to the second tier, where he will manage the team from Łódź for the third time. Ślączka had previously led ORZEŁ in 2011-2013 and 2017-2018.

Was the offer from Łódź the only one he received after the 2024 season? – Łódź was not the only one, but I decided to choose ORZEŁ. I have known the head of the Łódź speedway for a long time, so the talks were quick and straightforward – said Janusz Ślączka in an interview for ekstraliga.pl.

The participation of ORZEŁ Łódź in any competitions in 2025 was uncertain for a long time. Ultimately, the club’s president, Witold Skrzydlewski, announced that ORZEŁ will participate in the competitions, building a new team in the process. How will it perform in the upcoming season? – We want to perform well. It is difficult to predict what position we will finish in after the season, as that is uncertain. We want to perform well and win matches – the coach emphasized. – Our lineup is decent. These are players who have something to prove and a lot to gain – we heard at a press conference organized by the club.

During the winter break, five new seniors joined the team in Łódź. They are Robert Chmiel, Andreas Lyager, Patrick Hansen, Vaclav Milik, and Patryk Wojdyło. However, it is known that this is not the end of the reinforcements. The club is working on one more transfer. – The team lineup is not yet complete. We want to make a small addition, which should be clarified soon – Ślączka explained.

ORZEŁ, like many other clubs, does not intend to idle during the winter and will organize a preparatory-integrational camp for its players. This year, the people of Łódź will aim for the sea rather than the mountains. – We want to take the whole team to a training camp at the end of February and train a bit. We will certainly also conduct fitness tests to see who is in what condition – announced the team’s new coach.

In addition to a staffing revolution with the replacement of all seniors in the team, there were also personnel changes in the club. The position of vice president was taken by Jakub Zborowski, and Jan Konikiewicz became the managing director. – I think everyone wants the best for this club, and that is why they come here, to help and develop it. We know each other, both Jan and Kuba, so I think it’s a good move – concluded Janusz Ślączka.

Marcin Rusewicz