A fierce battle and the triumph of Inazuma Eleven
Eight teams competed in this year’s extremely evenly matched tournament. The 4th BUT CUP Football Tournament featured students and staff from Bialystok University of Technology, representatives of partner universities, and international students studying at Bialystok University of Technology either in full-degree programmes or under the Erasmus+ Programme.
The undisputed winner of the tournament was the Inazuma Eleven team, which defeated Real Billetis 4–0 in the grand final. What was the secret to their success? As the team captain reveals, it was all about teamwork and experience.
— Our team consists largely of students and graduates from the Faculty of Management Engineering. We know each other very well, we train regularly in the university’s futsal section, and many of the team members also play in fourth-division and regional league teams. We’ve taken part in the BUT CUP before. Three years ago, we managed to win. Now we’re back on the top step of the podium! The name Inazuma comes from a Japanese football anime that I watched as a child and which inspired me greatly,’ says Marcin Krzysztopik with a smile, captain of the winning team and a Master’s student in Management at the Faculty of Management Engineering at Bialystok University of Technology.
Last year’s title holders, the Panthers team, finished in third place this time. Their captain is Natnael Baraki, a student of Civil Engineering at the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences at Bialystok University of Technology, originally from Ethiopia.
– Studying here is great; we have loads of international students, so there’s no shortage of opportunities to make new contacts and friends. We also really like the sports facilities at Bialystok University of Technology — even when there’s no tournament, we just book a pitch and train with friends. I think that’s exactly why we’re doing so well in the competition: we simply know this pitch inside out!’ laughs Natnael, who lives in the Epsilon student residence hall and is currently learning Polish.
The university staff from the BUT Staff team also showed great heart in their play. Although they had to concede defeat to the Spanish students in their first match, they didn’t lose their good humour.
— Some very strong teams faced off here. Our first opponents played some very attractive, typically Iberian football. We, on the other hand, defended very well, launched dangerous counter-attacks, and only conceded in the closing moments of the match. But we didn’t let it get us down! We won the next match 3–0, and in truly fine style,’ reports Mirosław Kondratiuk, PhD, Eng., from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and captain of BUT Staff. — We have a great group of friends and colleagues from the university with whom we play in our spare time. When it comes to representing Bialystok University of Technology on the pitch, there’s always someone willing to step up!
A university with a modern sports complex
All tournament participants praised the sports facilities at Bialystok University of Technology. The matches took place on a modern one-hectare outdoor sports complex, which has been operating right in the centre of the campus since June 2024. This is therefore the third season in which the facility has been used to promote a healthy lifestyle. The university authorities emphasised the importance of this venue for the entire academic community.
— We are making effective use of our sports facilities, among other things, to bring together students from Poland and abroad who have come to us under the Erasmus+ Programme or are studying in full-degree programmes. A fantastic tradition is growing around this Orlik sports ground. It is very important to build new relationships and friendships outdoors while enjoying the excitement of sport. Not only will these last for many years, but they also help to further invigorate the University and create wonderful memories of time spent here,’ emphasises Assoc. Prof. Marta Kosior-Kazberuk, DSc, PhD, Eng., Rector of Bialystok University of Technology.
In addition to a full-size Orlik pitch with mobile stands, students and staff at Bialystok University of Technology have access to a multi-purpose pitch, a beach volleyball court, a mini calisthenics park, tennis courts, and open-air squash courts. The football pitch also features an innovative solution: instead of standard black granules, there is a layer of natural cork beneath the players’ feet. This fully eco-friendly solution means that on hot summer days the turf heats up significantly less in the sun.
A university open to the world
This year’s competition is behind us. The cup has found its winners, but regardless of the scores on the board, the biggest winner of the tournament was the sense of community.
Official results of the 4th BUT CUP Football Tournament
- Inazuma Eleven (captain: Marcin Krzysztopik; comprising students and graduates from the Faculties of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences, Electrical Engineering, Management Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering)
- Real Billetis (captain: Juan Reyes Barrios; comprising Erasmus+ students from Spain)
- Panthers (captain: Natnael Baraki; comprising students from Egypt, Poland, Zimbabwe, Burundi, Cuba, Spain, Morocco, Iraq, Ireland, Ethiopia, and Nigeria)
- Same Koty (captain: Karol Kuc)
The BUT CUP tournament continues to enjoy huge popularity and attracts both regular participants and new faces every year. The competition is part of the university’s “Akcja-Integracja 2.0” project, funded by the National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) under the Welcome to Poland Programme. The organisers have announced that they have already secured funding to continue the project.
However, football is not everything — international students at Bialystok University of Technology socialise throughout the year, for example during cooking workshops, the Welcome Dinner at the beginning of the semester, the Pumpkin Party, and the Christmas Meeting with the President of Białystok.
The success of the BUT CUP tournament and the great atmosphere on campus are also reflected in hard data. It is worth noting that in the prestigious QS Europe University Rankings, in the student exchange (incoming) category, Bialystok University of Technology ranked 1st in Poland and 2nd in Eastern Europe. The university is also rapidly developing its international cooperation as a member of the ACROSS European University Alliance, which brings together nine European universities.
Monika Rokicka
The 4th BUT CUP Football Tournament, held on 9–10 June 2026, was organised by the International Relations Offices of Bialystok University of Technology as part of the Action-Integration 2.0 project, which aims to support the international integration of students and foster an open and friendly academic environment. The project is funded by the NAWA Welcome to Poland Programme.
