In brief
Nawrocki attended the gala final of the II Open Military Championships in Boxing in Suwałki and then the Jagiellonia Białystok versus RSC Anderlecht Europa League match in Białystok.
Jagiellonia Białystok trailed 0:1 at half time and lost 0:3, its third Europa League match after a 1:2 defeat to Olympiacos and a 3:1 win over Ararat-Armenia.
A young boy wearing a crossed-out RTS cap, associated with Widzew Łódź, was asked by Nawrocki to remove it before a photo, a moment filmed and posted on X by Super Express journalist Kamil Heppen.
- Before the matchFlowers laid at the 42nd Infantry Regiment monument and fans met in Białystok.
- 22 OctMatch against Anderlecht kicks off at Chorten Arena with the president in the stands.
- After the final whistleOfficial posts with photographs from the gala and the stadium appear on his social media profile.
Two stops on Thursday evening
President Karol Nawrocki spent Thursday, 22 October, at two events, confirming speculation that had circulated for several days. He first attended the final gala of the II Open Military Championships in Boxing in Suwałki, the closing evening of a four-day competition in which nearly 100 competitors from the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland fought for medals across weight categories. He then went to Białystok to watch Jagiellonia Białystok face RSC Anderlecht in the league phase of the Europa League. Afterwards his official social media profile published two posts with photographs, one for each event.
The first post named the head of the BBN, Bartosz Grodecki, and minister Adam Andruszkiewicz as also attending the gala. The photographs showed the president with service athletes and other military personnel, along with the belt for the champion of the Polish Army boxing championship. The second post said he had visited Białystok and followed the match from the stadium stands.
The match in Białystok
Before kickoff, Nawrocki laid flowers at the monument to soldiers of the 42nd Infantry Regiment and met Jagiellonia supporters. His attendance had been announced the day before. Ahead of the match he told reporters:
“Today I am supporting Jagiellonia.”
The match at Chorten Arena began at 21:00. Coached by Adrian Siemieniec, Jagiellonia trailed 0:1 at half time and lost 0:3. It was the club's third match of its Europa League campaign, following a 1:2 defeat to Olympiacos and a 3:1 win over Ararat-Armenia.
Arrival and the cap
The president's arrival stirred excitement outside the stadium, and fans and media representatives recorded it as it happened. Supporters, including some of the youngest, crowded around him, and he took time for photographs. One clip shared online shows a young boy in a Jagiellonia scarf approaching him for a picture. The boy wore a cap with a crossed-out "RTS" abbreviation, which is associated with Widzew Łódź.
Nawrocki first covered the emblem with his hand, along with part of the boy's forehead. He then suggested taking the photograph without the cap and removed it himself, before smiling broadly. The footage was posted on X by Kamil Heppen, a journalist for Super Express, whose caption described the boy as greeting the Łódź club.
Reactions online
Comments under both official posts were divided. Some supporters thanked the president for coming and wrote that the result was a pity but that things would improve. Others were critical, saying he should focus on other state duties and arguing that his presence did not bring the team luck, given the 0:3 defeat.