Exclusive: The “former PE teacher” compared to Jurgen Klopp when considering a position in Sunderland

Sunderland are set to hire a new manager in the summer, after the club sacked Michael Beale last week.

Up until the summer, when Sunderland is expected to choose a fifth permanent manager since the Kyril Louis-Dreyfus era, Mike Dodds has been in charge.

Beale was only in the team for 12 games. But there was a lot of debate and unrest during his two months on Wearside.

Since his departure, a number of names have been linked to the Stadium of Light position; Will Still, the boss of Reims, has been named as Sunderland’s “ideal” choice, while Steve Cooper is expected to enter the race.

Marek Papszun is another name that has been mentioned; the 49-year-old Polish coach is well-known in his own nation for leading Rakow from the third division to the top division, winning all three titles in a seven-year period, and also having four domestic cup victories to his credit.

Rakow is now in sixth place in the standings after Papszun left the team in the summer of last year. There have been reports that Papszun may return due to a perceived “crisis” at the team.

On the other hand, Papszun is reportedly eager to speak with Sunderland about taking over as the team’s next manager.

And Ryan Hubbard, the author of the book “From Partition to Solidarity,” which covers the first 100 years of Polish football, exclusively discussed what to expect from a possible Papszun hire this summer with Sunderland AFC News.

Who is Marek Papszun and what impact has he had in Polish football?

Marek Papszun was just a former PE teacher ten years ago, having recently made his breakthrough in Polish football with Legionovia Legionowo in the lower divisions. In the present day, he is one of the nation’s most in-demand coaches.

When Raków Częstochowa hired him from Świt Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki back in 2016, they had no idea that they were about to go on a remarkable journey of their own. Papszun guided Raków from the third division to promotion in his first full season. After a 21-year hiatus, they returned to the top division of Ekstraklasa two years later. After two more seasons, he achieved a podium finish, his first Polish Cup, and his first Super Cup, which he repeated a year later. Unthinkable when Papszun was appointed, Raków finally won a Polish league championship in the 2022–2023 season.

Is Papszun adamant on coaching in England at this point?

Papszun has kept his cards close to his breast ever since he announced his departure a few weeks before winning the Ekstraklasa trophy. Despite his intense seven years in CzÄ™stochowa, he doesn’t seem to be in a rush to find a new coaching challenge. The 49-year-old has now assumed the job of pundit, contributing to Polish TV’s coverage of the Ekstraklasa.

What kind of game does he play?

Papszun preferred to use his offence as his first line of defence in Raków. His championship-winning team was able to score more goals and let up less goals than any other team by winning the ball high up the pitch. In precisely half of their 34 league games, the Medaliki also maintained clean sheets.

Papszun frequently used a 3-4-3 configuration, with a striker in the front line and two wide players. However, he was flexible when necessary and preferred adding a second striker to the mix when chasing a goal.

Which current Premier League team is comparable to his former Rakow team?

Raków’s style of play under Papszun is very different from Leicester City’s, even though their rise guarantees the apparent comparisons. Similar to Leicester, his team wasn’t particularly a counter-attacking one, but they also didn’t want to control possession. His success was largely attributed to a high-pressure, hectic style of play like to that of Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.

Could Marek Papszun handle a major English job such as Sunderland?

Even with his success, it’s hard to say how he would perform if he ventured overseas because he has never managed outside of his native country. But only a few months prior, a lot of people had projected that he would be named the next coach of Poland’s national team, taking over for Fernando Santos. It’s more likely that Papszun’s credentials had less to do with his rejection from that post than favouritism. He has also been connected, to varying degrees of plausibility, to positions at Brighton & Hove Albion and Legia Warsaw.

Did he bring through many younger players at Czestochowa?

Not a lot, but this wasn’t because they were reluctant. Raków’s academy isn’t the largest or most prominent in Poland, despite their quick rise, therefore Papszun has limited options when it comes to young players. In addition to their very modest budget, the club’s success was fueled by astute transfer market manoeuvres and astute coaching. However, Ekstraklasa regulations require clubs to provide young players with a set amount of playing time; if they performed well, there was never a problem with giving them an opportunity to earn a spot on the squad.

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