Legia to give Artur Jędrzejczyk a ceremonial farewell against Śląsk: number 55 goes down in history
Legia Warszawa is preparing a special farewell evening for Artur Jędrzejczyk, one of the most recognizable players in its recent history and the footballer who has won the most trophies in the club's shirt. The central part of the farewell will take place on Friday, 28 August 2026, after the league match Legia Warszawa – Śląsk Wrocław, which, according to the confirmed PKO Bank Polski Ekstraklasa schedule, starts at 20:30. The club has announced that the 38-year-old defender will be registered for the league competition and included in the squad for that match, while an official ceremony in front of the supporters at the stadium at Łazienkowska 3 in Warsaw will follow the final whistle. The event gains particular significance from Legia's decision to retire number 55, with which Jędrzejczyk was associated for most of his career. The farewell will therefore not only symbolically close a long playing story, but will also permanently commemorate the place he has earned in the club's history.
Farewell after the sixth-round Ekstraklasa match
The match against Śląsk Wrocław has been confirmed for Friday, 28 August, at 20:30, after the Ekstraklasa changed part of the sixth-round schedule at the beginning of August. According to the official explanation from Ekstraklasa SA, the change was made after an assessment of logistical circumstances connected with several major events being held in Warsaw on the same day. The match will be played at Stadion Miejski Legii Warszawa im. Marszałka Józefa Piłsudskiego, Legia's traditional home at Łazienkowska 3. For the club, the league result will remain an important sporting objective, but immediately after the match attention will turn to Jędrzejczyk and his relationship with the supporters, built over almost two decades. Legia has invited fans to remain in the stands after the final whistle so that they can take part in the ceremony together.
Jędrzejczyk himself emphasized in the club's announcement that he is looking forward to returning to the stadium as a player above all because of the opportunity to thank the fans who supported him throughout his career. He particularly highlighted moments from recent years when the entire stadium chanted his name, as well as the atmosphere surrounding championship and cup triumphs. His message nevertheless remained focused on the match itself: regardless of the ceremonial nature of the evening, he identified the team's victory over Śląsk as the most important objective. Such an emphasis fits well with the role he held in the dressing room for years – from experienced defender to captain and one of the players through whom the club's culture was passed between different generations. The farewell will therefore have two parallel dimensions: a competitive one through the league match and a symbolic one through a tribute to a player whose career marked a large part of Legia's history in the 21st century.
Number 55 will be retired
The most important permanent sign of recognition will be the retirement of number 55. Legia has officially announced that the number, which Jędrzejczyk wore during a large part of his seasons in Warsaw, will be reserved as a mark of recognition for his contribution to the club. According to Marcin Herra, President of the Management Board of Legia, the objective was to allow Jędrzejczyk to say goodbye in front of full stands and to thank him once again for his entire career. Herra also emphasized that the match against Śląsk will be the last in which a Legia footballer will play wearing number 55. The number will therefore remain directly associated with a player who set a series of records in the club's shirt.
The decision carries additional symbolism because Jędrzejczyk's status at the club was not built solely on longevity. Legia officially recognizes him as the most decorated player in its history. In 419 appearances, he won a total of 14 trophies: six Polish championship titles, seven Polish Cups and one Super Cup. In the club's historical ranking for official appearances, he is in second place. Only Lucjan Brychczy, with 452 matches, is ahead of him, while Jacek Zieliński is third with 404. This combination of appearances, trophies won and a long spell as captain explains why Legia is marking his departure in a way that goes beyond the usual farewell for a player.
419 matches and 14 trophies in the Legia shirt
According to club statistics published after the end of the 2025/26 season, Jędrzejczyk played 419 official matches for Legia. Of those, he made 301 appearances in the league, 41 in the Polish Cup, 36 in the UEFA Europa League, 22 in the UEFA Conference League, 12 in the UEFA Champions League, four in the Polish Super Cup and three in the League Cup. In those matches, he scored 11 goals and recorded 15 assists. With Legia, he achieved 233 victories and 91 draws, while the team lost 95 matches in which he appeared. The figures demonstrate not only the length of his time at the club but also the fact that he took part in almost all of Legia's important competitive cycles over two decades.
His collection of trophies began with Polish Cup triumphs at the start of the previous decade and ended with his seventh victory in that competition in 2025. He won Polish championship titles in 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2021, while lifting the Polish Cup in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2018, 2023 and 2025. He won the Super Cup in 2023. The club also highlights his appearances in the main stages of European competitions, including two Europa League group stages and the run to the Conference League quarter-finals in the 2024/25 season. It was precisely the seventh Polish Cup in 2025 that confirmed his status as Legia's most decorated player, ahead of Jakub Rzeźniczak, who won 12 trophies with the club.
Jędrzejczyk also set another club record. Legia states that by scoring against GKS Katowice he became the oldest goalscorer in the club's history in an official match, at the age of 37 years, nine months and six days. In doing so, he surpassed Lucjan Brychczy's record, which had stood for almost 54 years. Such a detail illustrates well how long Jędrzejczyk remained competitively relevant: the final phase of his time with Legia was not reduced merely to a veteran role away from the pitch, but also included tangible contributions in important matches.
A career that began in 2006 and repeatedly returned to Warsaw
Jędrzejczyk arrived at Legia as a young player from Igloopol Dębica and made his first official appearance on 22 July 2006 against Wisła Płock in the Polish Super Cup. The beginning did not immediately open the way to a permanent place in the first team. During his first years, he went on loan to GKS Jastrzębie, Dolcan Ząbki and Korona Kielce, gaining experience before establishing himself in Legia's squad. According to biographical material from the Polish football association Łączy nas piłka, he secured a regular place in the starting line-up during the period preceding the domestic double in 2013, when Legia won both the league and the cup. That same year, he also made the biggest foreign transfer of his career by moving to FK Krasnodar.
He spent several seasons in Russia, while his career was seriously slowed in 2014 by an anterior cruciate ligament injury in his left knee. After recovering and going through a period of fluctuating playing time, he returned to Legia on loan at the beginning of 2016, at a time when he was looking for continuity ahead of the European Championship. After a brief return to Krasnodar, Legia brought him back again at the beginning of 2017, this time permanently. From then on, he remained one of the constants in the team through numerous changes of coaches, sporting management and generations of players. Precisely because of those interruptions, his almost twenty-year connection with Legia does not amount to a single uninterrupted contract, but rather several periods that repeatedly returned to the same starting point – Łazienkowska 3.
From captain to a club reference point for younger players
In official statements from Legia's management concerning the farewell, Jędrzejczyk's role beyond the statistics has been repeatedly emphasized. Dariusz Mioduski, the club's owner and president, described him as one of the key figures in the team over a long period and highlighted the combination of professionalism, desire to win and influence on the atmosphere in the dressing room. Marcin Herra stressed the importance of organizing the farewell in front of a large number of supporters, while sporting director Fredi Bobić emphasized Jędrzejczyk's authority among younger players. In that sense, number 55 is not only a symbol connected with trophies, but also a symbol of continuity between several different periods in Legia's history.
Back in June 2026, when it was announced that Jędrzejczyk's contract would not be extended, the club announced that a special tribute would take place at the beginning of the following season. At that time, the league match against Motor Lublin on 23 May 2026 was designated as his final match of the previous period. The farewell against Śląsk therefore represents the implementation of the previously announced plan, but with an additional element: Jędrzejczyk will once again be registered for the Ekstraklasa and included in the match squad. The ceremony will thus be linked to another official competitive day rather than merely a ceremonial appearance by the former captain at the stadium.
He also left an important mark on the Poland national team
Jędrzejczyk's career was not limited to club football. He made 41 appearances for the Poland national team and scored three goals. He made his debut on 12 October 2010 in a friendly against Ecuador in Montreal, while his final international appearance came against Argentina at the 2022 World Cup. He played at three major tournaments: the 2016 European Championship, the 2018 World Cup and the 2022 World Cup. He had a particularly important role at Euro 2016 in France, where, according to data from Łączy nas piłka, he played every minute of all five of Poland's matches, including extra time in the knockout stage.
Poland reached the quarter-finals at that tournament, which remains one of the national team's more notable achievements of the modern era. Jędrzejczyk was then a regular part of the defence, using his tactical versatility across several defensive positions. At the 2018 World Cup, he played against Japan in Poland's 1:0 victory, while four years later in Qatar he came on against Argentina. His international career further strengthened his standing in Polish football and extended the significance of his farewell beyond the boundaries of a single club, although Legia will remain the central place in his professional story.
Special promotion for supporters and farewell after the final whistle
Legia has also connected the farewell with a special promotion in the club FanStore. According to the club's announcement, the first 400 buyers of the current shirt will receive, at no additional cost, a commemorative print featuring Jędrzejczyk's graphic, surname and number 55. The promotion covers 200 white and 200 green shirts. Until the store closes on Friday, it will also be possible to have a classic print with his surname and number applied free of charge to any current shirt. In this way, the club is further directing the entire week toward the farewell to a player whose number became one of the most recognizable symbols of his era.
For supporters at the stadium, the key part of the programme begins only after the match has ended. Legia has explicitly invited the crowd to remain in the stands for the official ceremony. The focus is expected to be on the trophies, his long tenure as captain, his relationship with the supporters and his almost twenty-year association with the club. Although the detailed scenario of the ceremony has not been published, the club has announced a special production and a collective tribute to the player. Given the decision to retire number 55, that evening will mark the moment after which the number will no longer belong to a new first-team player.
Another appearance in the anniversary match on 6 September
The farewell against Śląsk will not be Jędrzejczyk's final appearance on Legia's stadium pitch as part of the club's programme. The club has confirmed that on 6 September 2026 at 16:00 he will also take part in the Anniversary Match marking the 110th anniversary of Legia Warszawa. The match is conceived as a gathering of players who marked different periods in the club's history. Among previously confirmed participants, Legia named Dariusz Dziekanowski, Miroslav Radović, Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe, Roger Guerreiro, Leszek Pisz and Tomasz Kiełbowicz, while Jędrzejczyk will join the list as one of the most important representatives of the more recent generation.
The Anniversary Match will be played in a format of three periods of 30 minutes. Alongside the sporting programme, family activities, meetings with former players and themed zones dedicated to the club's history have been announced. The event also has a charitable component: according to Legia's official announcement, five Polish złoty from every ticket will be directed to Fundacja Legii for sports programmes intended for people at risk of social exclusion, including amputee football, wheelchair fencing and programmes for older people. For Jędrzejczyk, this will be a second major opportunity within a short period to appear before supporters at the stadium with which the greatest part of his professional career is connected.
A farewell combining result, memory and club identity
The Legia Warszawa – Śląsk Wrocław match on 28 August will therefore carry significance that goes beyond the points at stake in the sixth round of the Ekstraklasa. For the home team, it is a regular league match in which it wants to achieve its sporting objective, but for the supporters and the club it will also be the official conclusion of an exceptionally long playing era. Jędrzejczyk's 419 matches, 14 trophies, role as captain, European appearances and international career create a context in which his farewell is being planned as an entire evening event rather than a brief ceremony before kick-off. The retirement of number 55 will transform that moment into a permanent club symbol that will remain after the end of his playing career.
Legia already closed one chapter in June by announcing that the contract would not be extended, but the farewell was deliberately left for the beginning of the new season so that Jędrzejczyk could experience it together with the supporters. The plan has now gained a specific date, opponent and competitive framework. The ceremony will follow the match against Śląsk, and a few days later he will also participate in the event marking the club's 110th anniversary. At the centre of everything remains the relationship between player, stadium and supporters that endured through different teams, coaches and generations of fans. When the lights of the ceremony go out after the final whistle, number 55 will remain as the most visible trace of Jędrzejczyk's era at Legia Warszawa.
Sources:
- Legia Warszawa – official announcement about Artur Jędrzejczyk's farewell, the ceremony after the match, his registration for the Ekstraklasa, the retirement of number 55 and the FanStore promotion (link)
- Legia Warszawa – club overview of Jędrzejczyk's career, 419 appearances, 14 trophies and the announcement of a special farewell after the end of his contract (link)
- Legia Warszawa – historical statistics on appearances, trophies, records and the club ranking of players with the most matches (link)
- Ekstraklasa SA – updated schedule for the sixth round of the 2026/27 season and confirmation of the Legia Warszawa – Śląsk Wrocław match on 28 August at 20:30 (link)
- Łączy nas piłka – biographical overview of Artur Jędrzejczyk's club and international career, including Euro 2016 and the 2018 and 2022 World Cups (link)
- Legia Warszawa – official information about the Anniversary Match for the club's 110th anniversary on 6 September 2026, the match format, participants and charitable programme (link)