I Liga (Poland)
| Country | Poland |
|---|---|
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Founded | 30 May 1948 1949–2008 (as II liga) 2008– (as I liga) |
| Number of teams | 18 |
| Level on pyramid | 2 |
| Promotion to | Ekstraklasa |
| Relegation to | II liga |
| Domestic cup(s) |
Polish Cup Polish SuperCup |
| International cup(s) | Europa League (via Polish Cup) |
| Current champions |
Arka Gdynia (2015–16) |
| Most championships | Gwardia Warszawa (6 titles) |
| TV partners | Polsat Group (Polsat Sport) |
| Website | Official site |
 2016–17 I liga
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I liga (Pierwsza liga, Polish pronunciation: [ˈpjɛrfʂa ˈliɡa]) is the second level of the Polish association football league, below the Ekstraklasa and above the II liga. Run by the Polish Football Association (PZPN) since its inception on 30 May 1948, all teams from 2002 onwards must have a licence, issued by the Association. The league was renamed from Second League to First League in 2008.
Before 1939, there were several plans to create a second, national level of Polish football system, but all failed. Instead, there were regional leagues of most Polish provinces, the so-called A Classes (see also Lower Level Football Leagues in Interwar Poland).
In 1913 and 1914, the football championship of Austrian Galicia took place. At that time it was called the A Class Championship, with four top teams of the province (Cracovia, Wisla Krakow, Pogon Lwow and Czarni Lwow). Since there were many more football teams in Galicia, the B Class Championship was made for them. Also, in 1921, already in the Second Polish Republic, there were two levels: winners of regional A Classes played in the national championship, while winners of the B Classes (Cracovia II, Pogon Lwow II, AZS Warszawa and Union Łódź) had their own tournament. For financial reasons, this idea was abandoned after one year.
In the Second Polish Republic, there were regional leagues, or A Classes, which were the second level of Polish football system, behind the Ekstraklasa, which was formed in 1927, see Lower Level Football Leagues in Interwar Poland. Since in the late 1930s only two teams were promoted to the Ekstraklasa, and there were as many as fourteen regional champions, there was a complicated system of playoffs. Firstly, winners of neighbouring A Classes played each other, and in the final stage, four teams competed, with two top sides winning the promotion.
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