ZAKSA recently won under their new coach. Adam Swaczyna made his debut as head coach for ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle. This raises the question of how long he will lead the runners-up of Poland. The previous week, the team managed to save themselves from elimination in the Champions League by winning 3:2 against Knack Roeselare, followed by an impressive 3:0 victory in the PlusLiga match against Stal Nysa. Two days after triumphing in the Opole derby, the club issued a shocking announcement. Tuomas Sammelvuo was removed from coaching the team and is temporarily replaced by Adam Swaczyna with support from Michał Chadała. The decision to remove Sammelvuo was due to unsatisfactory results and the team’s position in the table and in the Champions League group stage did not meet the season’s goals.
There are questions about whether ZAKSA is seeking a new coach and why a coach, who led the team to victory in the previous season’s Champions League, was dismissed despite the team being affected by a plague of injuries. However, the club’s president, Piotr Szpaczek, and Sammelvuo have not provided any clear answers. A former coach of Mostostal Kędzierzyn-Koźle, Waldemar Wspaniały, expresses surprise at the decision and believes that typically it is the coach who is let go in such situations.
The reason behind Sammelvuo’s dismissal remains speculative as no official comments have been made. Unofficially, there were indications of strained relations between the players and the coach. Sammelvuo becomes the first ZAKSA coach to be dismissed during the season since 2006. His replacement, Swaczyna, joined the coaching staff in 2019 and previously assisted Nikola Grbić, Gheorghe Cretu, and Sammelvuo. Swaczyna debuted as head coach with a dramatic 3:2 win against Indykpol AZS Olsztyn. It remains to be seen if he can replicate the success of Piotr Graban, who replaced a foreign coach during the previous season and made a significant impact.
Amid the uncertainty, concerns are voiced about the future as top players depart and the market becomes increasingly competitive. Despite this, there is hope for the team’s potential, and the focus is on the upcoming challenges, including a crucial match in the Champions League.
