Legia complete Polish double with league title

Legia Warszawa are celebrating clinching the domestic double after a surprise 2-0 loss for KKS Lech Poznań at home to bottom club TS Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biala gifted the capital side their first Polish title since 2005/06.

Legia saw off Lech 1-0 in a crucial encounter last weekend that sent them five points clear with three games remaining, but they handed their rivals a chance to close the gap with a 1-1 draw at RTS Widzew Łódź on Friday. Lech were undone by a pair of Fabian Pawela strikes for Podbeskidzie, however, and that left Legia – who lifted the Polish Cup earlier this month – six points out in front and confirmed their ninth Ekstraklasa crown thanks to their superior head-to-head record.

"After our draw against Łódź, I didn't expect that we'd be celebrating today," said Legia captain Ivica Vrdoljak, whose late penalty sealed the home win against Lech last Saturday. "This was my third attempt to get the title in Poland and I'm extremely happy I finally got it. I was a league champion three times with Dinamo Zagreb, but this is the first time in my career that, instead of winning the league on the pitch, I watched our rivals lose it on television."

Also delighted was Legia defender Bartosz Bereszyński who, having played the first half of the season with Lech, will receive both gold and silver medals. "The truth is that this gold medal with Legia is the only one that really matters to me," he explained. "I'm happy but also a little surprised as I was pretty sure we would have to wait until our next match to celebrate."