From Szarmach to Skóraś: Ligue 1’s enduring Polish connection
Few clubs in France share a connection with Poland as profound as RC Lens. It stretches far beyond football, rooted in the thousands of Polish workers who arrived in the Nord and Pas-de-Calais during the 20th century to work in the region’s coal mines.
That heritage has long been reflected at Stade Bollaert-Delelis. From Eugeniusz Faber and Ryszard Grzegorczyk to Piotr Świerczewski, Jacek Bąk and Przemysław Frankowski, generations of Polish players have worn the Sang et Or shirt.
This summer, Lens have renewed that tradition by bringing in two more. Michał Skóraś arrives after an excellent season with Gent, during which the versatile wide player contributed two goals and 11 assists in 35 appearances. The 26-year-old Poland international, who can operate as an winger or wing-back, has signed a contract running until 2031.
His move was followed by that of central defender Maik Nawrocki. The former Werder Bremen and Legia Warsaw youngster joins from Celtic after spending last season on loan at Hannover, where he registered three goals and three assists across 17 appearances. Together, they become the latest representatives of a relationship that has helped shape the identity of Lens.
A Polish tradition at Bollaert
The Polish influence on the Racing squad became particularly visible during the 1970s. Faber and Grzegorczyk arrived in 1971, with both playing key roles as Lens returned to the French top flight two years later.
An international winger who had won two Polish championships with Ruch Chorzów, Faber became one of the defining figures of that side. He finished as the leading scorer in Lens’ Division 2 group with 21 goals in 1972/73 and later helped the club reach the 1975 Coupe de France final.
Joachim Marx, a member of Poland’s gold medal-winning team at the 1972 Olympic Games, subsequently continued the tradition. After joining Lens in 1975, he helped the Sang et Or finish second in the French championship in 1976/77 before later serving the club as a coach.
Several decades later, Świerczewski was part of the squad that delivered the greatest achievement in Lens’ history. The combative midfielder helped Racing become French champions for the first time in 1997/98 and lift the Coupe de la Ligue the following season.
Frankowski then revived the connection in the modern era. Signed in 2021, the adaptable wing-back immediately endeared himself to Bollaert by scoring the only goal of a Derby du Nord victory over LOSC. He became an important member of the team that finished second in Ligue 1 in 2022/23 and later scored in Lens’ decisive UEFA Champions League win over Sevilla.
Skóraś has already been introduced to that heritage. For his first feature with the club, the new arrival was accompanied by Éric Sikora – Lens’ record appearance holder and himself of Polish descent – as the pair explored Racing’s European history. Lens sporting director Jean-Louis Leca described Skóraś as “perfectly Lens-compatible"
Polish stars across Ligue 1
The bond between Poland and French football extends well beyond the Bassin Minier. Andrzej Szarmach remains the most prolific Polish player in Ligue 1 history. A two-time World Cup bronze medallist, the striker arrived at AJ Auxerre in 1980 and became one of the first major figures of Guy Roux’s emerging team. He scored 94 goals in 148 top-flight appearances across spells with Auxerre and EA Guingamp – a record for a Polish player in the division.
Auxerre later found another formidable Polish striker in Ireneusz Jeleń. Quick, direct and clinical, Jeleń scored 49 Ligue 1 goals and helped AJA finish third in 2009/10, securing qualification for the following season’s Champions League.
Ludovic Obraniak also built a substantial career in France. Developed at FC Metz, the attacking midfielder went on to represent LOSC and Girondins de Bordeaux. His defining moment came in the 2011 Coupe de France final, when his late free-kick against Paris Saint-Germain delivered the trophy for Lille. A week later, LOSC completed a historic league and cup double.
Grzegorz Krychowiak took his first professional steps in France, progressing through the Girondins de Bordeaux academy before establishing himself at Stade de Reims. The midfielder became a favourite in Champagne and helped the club consolidate its place in Ligue 1 before later returning to France with PSG.
Kamil Grosicki brought his speed and unpredictability to Stade Rennais between 2014 and 2017, while Kamil Glik became a leader of the AS Monaco side crowned French champions in 2016/17. The commanding central defender was at the heart of a team that also reached the Champions League semi-finals.
More recently, Arkadiusz Milik led the line for Olympique de Marseille. The striker arrived from Napoli in January 2021 and quickly demonstrated his finishing ability, notably scoring a hat-trick against Angers at the end of his first half-season in Provence.
Now it is the turn of Skóraś and Nawrocki to write their own chapter. At a club whose Polish heritage is woven into both its history and its community, their arrival carries a significance extending beyond two additions to Dino Toppmöller’s squad. For Lens and Poland, it is the continuation of an old family story.
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