Motor Lublin Football Club has ended a 32-year absence by securing a historic fourth promotion to the Ekstraklasa this year. The return to the pinnacle of Polish football caps a long journey for a club that was a top-flight staple from 1980 to 1992, suffering three relegations but bouncing back twice quickly. Currently, the Lublin side sits 17th in the table with five points from eight games, with league leaders Górnik Zabrze next on the schedule.
Founded in 1950 by workers of the Truck Manufacturing Plant as Stal and renamed Motor seven years later, the club first reached the second tier in 1968. They came close to the elite in 1974 but ultimately fell short against Stomil in the final round. Success arrived six years later, in 1980, beginning a twelve-year spell in the top division. After their last relegation in 1992, the club even experienced football at the fourth-tier level, making the current triumph particularly significant.
Historic Clashes with Górnik
The first central-level meeting between these sides took place in the II liga, the predecessor of today's I liga. In the initial four matches, the record was even, two wins apiece. In 1978, as Górnik fought for promotion back to the top flight, Motor took the lead twice in Zabrze but eventually lost 2:4. Two years later, as a top-flight newcomer, Motor beat Górnik 3:1 in Lublin, losing the return leg 0:1 to a goal from Edward Socha. Throughout most of the 1980s, Górnik dominated these fixtures. An exception was the final match of the 1986/87 season, where an already relegated Motor won 2:1 in Zabrze, despite a pre-match farewell for local heroes Waldemar Matysik and Andrzej Pałasz. Motor's last season in the elite, 1991/92, ended with two goalless draws against Górnik.
Returns and a Friendly with Real
After a long absence, Motor returned to the I liga in the 2009/10 season, though they were ultimately relegated before being reinstated following GKS Jastrzębie's withdrawal. In those meetings, Górnik won twice, including a victory in Lublin featuring two goals from Adrian Świątek within two minutes. A curious episode in the club's history was a friendly against Real Madrid, played on 30 July 1995 in Vevey, Switzerland. The match was organised by former Górnik president Władysław Kozubal, who as an agent had obligations to Lausanne-Sports. A condition for the Spanish giants' visit for Vevey's 90th-anniversary celebrations was to play Motor Lublin, who lost 0:7.
Current Context and the Coming Challenge
After 32 years away, Motor triumphantly returned to the Ekstraklasa last season. In the first match back, they beat Górnik 1:0 in Lublin with a goal from N'Diaye in the 58th minute, but lost the return leg in Zabrze 0:4, where Filip Majchrowicz even saved two penalties taken by Piotr Ceglarz. The last meeting between the teams, on 8 March 2026, ended in a goalless draw. Motor Lublin now faces the tough reality of the league, recording just one win, one draw, and three losses in their last five matches. Following a recent 1:2 defeat to Raków Częstochowa, the team must quickly find form. The next test comes on Friday against table-toppers Górnik Zabrze. Details of the upcoming schedule and the senior squad can be followed on our fixtures and squad pages. A key figure in the search for points is Karol Czubak, whose five goals make him the team's current top scorer. Motor Lublin is preparing for a match that could be a turning point in their fight for survival.
The report in full is at gornikzabrze.pl
