TL;DR · 1 min read
In short
- Diagnosis. Ekstraklasa clubs had PLN 1.59 billion of revenue in the 2025/26 season, while children’s training has no shared, checked standard. At the lowest levels coaches often still work as volunteers.
- Six pillars. Polish Game Model, coaching as a profession, talent and infrastructure, leagues and clubs, a modern PZPN, fans, women and schools. They only work together.
- Timetable with gates. Preparation XI 2026 – III 2027 → Pilot IV – XII 2027 → Roll-out 2028 – 2030 → Scale and effect 2031 – 2034. The next phase starts only after the gate is passed.
- Public accountability. An indicator panel with targets for 2030 and 2034. The national team’s result is an ambition, not a promise of the plan.
- Status. A citizens’ proposal sent to MSiT, KPRM and PZPN. No institution has adopted or funded it.
This page was translated from Polish with the help of AI tools. The Polish version is the reference text; a review by a native speaker is still pending.
Full documentation in Polish: Open the Polish page
01 · Diagnosis
Clubs grow, training does not keep up
- A game model exists but is not binding. PZPN has published a National Game Model since 2018. It is a set of guides, not a shared, checked standard from U6 to the senior team.
- Children are coached by volunteers. Certification subsidises some academies, but at the lowest levels the coach often works unpaid and is not accountable for the player’s development.
- Rewards exist, licence requirements do not yet. Since the 2025/26 season PZPN and Ekstraklasa SA pay rewards for young players instead of fines, at least PLN 28 million per season. The licence still does not make playing in Ekstraklasa depend on academy quality.
- Governance to strengthen. The 2025 PZPN presidential election had one candidate. The federation has no independent board members or public indicators yet.
- PLN 737 million without shared indicators. According to the Ministry of Sport, its programmes for children’s and youth football are worth almost PLN 737 million in total. They are not linked by one agreement with PZPN, shared indicators or a public report of results.
02 · Six pillars
They only work together
| Pillar | What it includes | Indicator |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Polish Game Model | A National Technical Director with an 8-year mandate; PZPN’s National Game Model as the binding U6–U21 standard; small-sided games and development instead of league tables for the youngest. | New edition of the model in 2027 |
| 2. Coaching as a profession | 5,000 paid full-time and part-time coaches for children; subsidised UEFA C and B courses; independent coach assessment by universities of physical education (AWF) and the Institute of Sport. | 100% of coaches assessed by 2029 |
| 3. Talent and infrastructure | Expanded academy certification and Double Pass audit; 16 regional centres and about 300 regional bases; Orlik 3.0: a paid coach at the school pitch. | 30 bases in the 2027 pilot, about 300 bases in 2030 |
| 4. Leagues and clubs | Academy audit result as an Ekstraklasa licence criterion; Młodzieżowiec 2.0 kept and assessed every year; solidarity fund for the 1st and 2nd league; “Homegrown – Strong Club”: rewards for minutes of homegrown players and transparent squad cost. | New criteria from the 2028/29 season |
| 5. Modern PZPN | Independent board members; term limits, audit and compliance; public indicator report every quarter. | Statute change at the 2027 congress |
| 6. Fans, women and schools | Safe stadiums: family zones, organiser responsibility; girls’ football programme; football at school and in small towns. | +30% girls in the system by 2030 |
Infrastructure of pillar 3 is an investment outside the PLN 450 million annual budget: variant B is estimated at PLN 566.7 million including the reserve, in 2027–2030.
03 · Proposed timetable
Four phases, three gates
All dates are proposals: no institution has adopted the timetable. A phase would start only when the Programme Council confirms that the previous one met its conditions.
| Phase | When | Main steps | Gate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0. Preparation | XI 2026 – III 2027 | Opening report with data; named expert reviews; policy brief for the Ministry of Sport; website and indicator panel | Agreement signed |
| 1. Pilot | IV – XII 2027 | Multi-year agreement; Programme Council and office; competition for the technical director; pilot in 3 voivodeships; PZPN statute change | Pilot meets its indicators |
| 2. Roll-out | 2028 – 2030 | 16 centres and about 300 bases by 2030; 5,000 coaches for children; new licence from 2028/29; evaluation report every year | 2030 review |
| 3. Scale and effect | 2031 – 2034 | First age groups from the new system in senior football; sporting ambition: FIFA top 15 (no guarantee); evaluation and the next plan | Evaluation and next plan |
04 · Accountability
Public accountability for results
The full indicator panel (today, 2030 target, 2034 target, source), the comparison of twelve football systems, the four development concepts and the list of questions for a legal opinion are available in Polish. Values marked “to be set” would be measured by the implementing institution in its opening report.