A return to Poland after seven years

Goalkeeper Ján Mucha signed a two-year contract with Nieciecza yesterday

Slovak goalkeeper Ján Mucha is on the verge of reaching 100 appearances in Poland’s top football league. He already played 95 matches between 2005 and 2010 for Legia Warsaw, and he’s set to add more in the 2017/18 season wearing the jersey of Termalica Nieciecza. Yesterday morning, the experienced 34-year-old signed a two-year deal with the eighth-placed team of the previous Ekstraklasa season.

The long-time Slovak national team mainstay returns to Poland after seven years spent abroad, playing for Everton, Krylia Sovetov Samara, Arsenal Tula, and most recently Slovan Bratislava. “I’m really happy to renew my connection with Poland. I have only the best memories from my time at Legia, and I hope to experience similarly great moments in Nieciecza,” said the native of Belá nad Cirochou after completing the move. Before his first stint in Poland starting in 2002, he played in Slovakia for Inter Bratislava, Žilina, and Humenné.

“We had concrete offers from four Ekstraklasa clubs. Ever since we agreed with Slovan to terminate his contract, interest started coming in. Even though he had other options, a return to Poland always seemed most likely. The decision came down to a combination of contract length and value, league quality, and proximity to Slovakia,” explained his agent Jozef Tokos.

“I really didn’t want to go too far from home again. I have some matters in Slovakia that I don’t want to walk away from. From Nieciecza, I’ll be able to manage it,” added Mucha, who joined a squad already featuring five Slovak teammates: Štefánik, Mišák, Mikovič, Gergel, and Guba. At the club from a village of just 750 residents, Mucha is expected to start the season as the first-choice goalkeeper.