FKS Stal Mielec, commonly known as Stal Mielec (Polish pronunciation: [ˈstal ˈmjɛlɛt͡s]), is a Polish professional football club based in Mielec. The team competes in the Ekstraklasa, the top level of the Polish football league system.
The club was established on 10 April 1939. Historically, the club has enjoyed great successes within Poland's top division, winning the title in 1973 and 1976, but had undergone significant management changes and financial difficulties within the past two decades, which forced the club from participation in the Poland's top league. After winning the third-tier II liga title in 2016, Stal Mielec was promoted to I liga. After finishing first in the I liga in 2020, Stal Mielec was promoted to the Ekstraklasa for the first time since the 1995–96 season.
The football club was one of the first two (next to the volleyball club) at the PZL Mielec, established in 1939. The team was made up of players playing in other clubs in Mielec and employees of the PZL, an aerospace company. In the first match played, the team defeated the Gymnastic Society "Sokół" Mielec with 4–1 victory. Three more matches were played against Dzikovia Tarnobrzeg (2–1), Metal Tarnów (3–1) and a team made up of players from an ammunition factory in Nowa Dęba (6–1). The match against Okęcie Warszawa planned for September did not take place, because World War II started and any sports games were forbidden. However, the matches were played illegally in the meadows beyond the communal forest and in other towns (including Dębica, Kolbuszowa, Sandomierz). The only official match was played against a German military unit and ended with the score 1–2.
The construction of the club's current stadium, Municipal Stadium, was concluded in 1953. The stadium underwent a major renovation, completed in 2013. It maintains a seating capacity for 7,000 spectators. Before the 2013 renovation, it maintained seating capacity for 30,000 spectators, and hosted numerous European Champions Cup, UEFA Cup, and Poland national team matches, including FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship qualifiers.
The club operates a reserve team which currently plays in the Subcarpathia group of the IV liga, the fifth tier of the league pyramid. During the 2020–21 season, a third team participated in the regional league, as well as the Subcarpathian Rzeszów–Dębica Polish Cup edition.[3][4]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
The players below played for their respective countries at any point during their career.
Stanisław Maurer (1947–1948) Rudolf Pirych (1948–1952)[6] Eustachy Poticha (1952–1953) Antoni Brzeżańczyk (1954–1956) Michał Matyas (1957–1958) Antoni Brzeżańczyk (1959–1960)[6] Henryk Skromny (1961) Czesław Suszczyk (1962) Michał Matyas (1962–1963) Stanisław Malczyk (1963–1964) Otton Opiełka (1964) Władysław Lemiszko (1964–1965) Konrad Jędryka (1966–1967)[6] Andrzej Gajewski (1968–1972)[6].svg/1280px-Flag_of_Hungary_(1946-1949,_1956-1957;_1-2_aspect_ratio).svg.png){kind=small}
Károly Kontha (1973) Aleksander Brożyniak (1973–1974)[6] Zenon Książek (1974–1975) Edmund Zientara (1975–1977) Alfred Gazda (1977) Konstanty Pawlikaniec (1977–1978) Zenon Książek (1978–1980)[6] Mieczysław Kruk (1980–1981) Józef Walczak (1981–1982) Witold Karaś (1982) Jacek Machciński and Marian Kosiński (1982–1983) Henryk Stroniarz (1983–1984) Włodzimierz Gąsior (1984–1985) Ryszard Latawiec (1985–1986) Zenon Książek (1986–1987) Włodzimierz Gąsior (1987–1990) Marian Kosiński (1990) Włodzimierz Gąsior (1990–1991) Grzegorz Lato (1991–1993) Witold Karaś (1993) Franciszek Smuda (1993–1995) Jan Złomańczuk (1995) Grzegorz Lato (1996–1997) Jerzy Płaneta (1998) Marek Chamielec (1999) Jerzy Płaneta (1999–2000) Witold Karaś (2000) Roman Gruszecki (2000–2001) Włodzimierz Gąsior (2001) Marek Lorenc (2001) Krzysztof Łętocha (2001–2002) Jacek Klisiewicz (2002) Włodzimierz Gąsior (2003–2006) Tomasz Tułacz (2006) Włodzimierz Gąsior (2006–2007) Janusz Białek (2007) Zbigniew Hariasz (2007) Andrzej Jaskot (2008) Grzegorz Wcisło (2008–2009) Zbigniew Hariasz (2009) Janusz Białek (2009) Zbigniew Hariasz (2009–2010) Grzegorz Wcisło (2010) Mariusz Łuc (2010) Tomasz Tułacz (2011–2012) Roman Gruszecki (2012) Włodzimierz Gąsior (2012–2014) Rafał Wójcik (2014) Janusz Białek (2014) Rafał Wójcik (2014) Janusz Białek (2014–2016) Maciej Serafiński (2016) Zbigniew Smółka (2016–2018) Artur Skowronek (2018–2019) Dariusz Marzec (2019–2020) Dariusz Skrzypczak (2020) Leszek Ojrzyński (2020–2021) Włodzimierz Gąsior (2021) Adam Majewski (2021–2023) Kamil Kiereś (2023–2024) Janusz Niedźwiedź (2024–present)[7]
50°17′55″N 21°26′9″E / 50.29861°N 21.43583°E / 50.29861; 21.43583