Odlew Poznań

HKS Odlew Poznań is an amateur football club based in Poznań, in the Greater Poland region of Poland. Though it sits near the bottom of the national league system, the club has become widely known—almost legendary—for its self-deprecating, humorous take on football and its commitment to promoting the amateur game. As of the 2024/25 season, it finished 9th in Klasa B.

The club’s name comes from the 1989 comedy film Piłkarski Poker, which, though fictional, was later seen as a sharp satire of real match-fixing. In the film, Odlew Poznań appears only briefly, with its chairman denied even a speaking line. The founders were inspired by Warsaw’s Karmazyn Warsaw, another club famous for poor results and a playful attitude. The abbreviation HKS stands for Husarski Klub Sportowy (Hussar Sports Club), chosen because no other club used it—unlike the more common KS, PKS, or FC.

History and humour

Originally set up by reporters from Gazeta Wyborcza, the club has since shed that image. In its debut 2002 season in the lowest division (B-klasa), it had the worst record in all of Greater Poland.

In response, the club adopted slogans like “We’re the worst, we want to be better,” “A real defeat is not to lose, but not to try in the first place,” “Hope dies last,” and “Odlew will always stay up” (since there is no relegation from the bottom tier). They also adapted a famous beer advert: “Almost like Odlew.” The club has nearly won promotion to A-klasa several times but never succeeded; its current goal is simply to avoid being the worst team in the country. On its website, the league table is routinely turned upside down, with the official explanation: “This way we can be top.”

For its 10th anniversary in 2012, Odlew played a match against San Marino’s champion, F.C. Domagnano—billed as the best amateur team in the world versus the worst. Odlew lost only 0–1 in a close, hard-fought game. The club later secured a sponsorship from Obolon, a major Ukrainian brewery. After a string of poor results by Poland’s national team, Odlew challenged coach Waldemar Fornalik’s side to a match, claiming “there are no weak sides anymore,” but the offer was declined.

Ground

The team plays at Lech Poznań’s training ground on ul. Ptasia (Bird Street), giving it one of the best pitches available to an amateur side.