- published: 21 Dec 2015
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The Ekstraklasa (Polish pronunciation: [ˌɛkstraˈklasa]), or T-Mobile Ekstraklasa (Polish pronunciation: [tiˈmɔ(w)bajl ˌɛkstraˈklasa]) for sponsorship reasons, is a Polish professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Polish football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 16 clubs, operating a system of promotion and relegation with the I Liga. The Ekstraklasa season starts in late July, and ends in May the following year, teams play a total of 30 games each. The Ekstraklasa (former I liga) was formed as Liga Piłki Nożnej (Polish pronunciation: [ˈlʲiɡa ˈpiwki ˈnɔʐnɛj]; LPN) on 1 March 1927 in Warsaw, but Polish Championships as non-league competition and The Polish Football Federation PZPN (Polski Związek Piłki Nożnej) had been organized on 20 December 1919 in Warsaw, a year after the independence of Poland in 1918. First, historic games of the freshly created league took place on April 3, 1927.
A total of 78 clubs have played in the top division of polish football since the founding of the league in 1927, of which, 16 clubs have won the title. The current champions are Śląsk Wrocław, who won their second title in 2011–12.