KS Cracovia

KS Cracovia, founded on 13 June 1906, is regarded as the oldest continuously existing sports club in Poland, a claim contested only by its great rival Wisła Kraków, established the same year. From the outset the team adopted white-and-red stripes echoing the national flag — a gesture with patriotic weight while Poland was still partitioned — giving rise to the enduring nickname Pasy ("The Stripes").

Cracovia have won the Polish championship five times, in 1921, 1930, 1932, 1937 and 1948; the first of these, secured under the old cup-style format, is regarded as the very first Polish football title. Among the players credited with that early success was Józef Kałuża, a forward for the club between 1912 and 1931 who later coached the Polish national team from 1932 to 1939, the most successful spell before Kazimierz Górski's era; a street beside the club's stadium now bears his name.

The stadium itself, on ulica Józefa Kałuży, carries the name of Marshal Józef Piłsudski, Poland's head of state, who once said it was Cracovia that first drew him to sport.

The club's oldest and fiercest rivalry, the so-called Holy War against Wisła Kraków, remains one of Polish football's defining fixtures. More recently Cracovia added the Polish Cup (2019–20) and Polish Super Cup (2020–21) to its honours, earning the club its first appearances in European competition.

Holy supporter: John Paul II's bond with Cracovia

John Paul II, born Karol Wojtyła, had been connected to Kraków since his earliest years, and his sporting sympathies from childhood leaned toward Cracovia – one of the oldest Polish football clubs. Young Karol Wojtyła grew up in Wadowice, yet it was the Kraków club, known for its striped red-and-white colors, that won his heart even before he entered the seminary. The future pope never concealed this attachment and, in later years, as the Holy Father, often recalled the matches he watched as a boy and student.

Karol Wojtyła's sympathy for Cracovia was not merely an anecdote – it was confirmed by numerous accounts from people close to the pope and by Church historians. Cracovia fans still gladly recall that their club can boast the title of the team supported by John Paul II himself. This is why the stadium on Kałuży Street in Kraków and the community connected with the club treat this bond as part of their identity and pride.

It is worth noting that Karol Wojtyła's love of sport was not limited to football alone. The future pope also loved skiing, mountain hiking, and kayaking, confirming his all-around physical activity in his youth. Nevertheless, it was his sympathy for Cracovia that became one of the better-known and most frequently recalled biographical threads linking the figure of the great pope with local Kraków tradition.

After his election to the Holy See, John Paul II repeatedly emphasized his sentiment for his native Kraków and its history, and the theme of supporting Cracovia became a lasting element of the story about the pope's humble, human roots. For many of the faithful and sports enthusiasts, this story shows that even the greatest spiritual authorities could enjoy simple, everyday passions.