---
title: "Deniss Rakels announced as the new Zagłębie Sosnowiec player"
date: 2025-01-13T22:51:01Z
lang: en
author: "Janis Vitols"
canonical: https://balticfootballnews.com/deniss-rakels-announced-as-the-new-zaglebie-sosnowiec-player/
categories: ["Latvians abroad", "Transfers"]
---

# Deniss Rakels announced as the new Zagłębie Sosnowiec player
![](https://i0.wp.com/balticfootballnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Deniss-Rakels-e1736808615708.webp?resize=1024%2C682&ssl=1)Photo: Zagłębia Sosnowiec

Deniss Rakels.

**Polish 2. Liga side Zagłębie Sosnowiec has announced the signing of Deniss Rakels, a former Latvian national team forward, to a contract until the end of the 2025/26 season.**

The 32-year-old winger first made a name for himself at **Liepājas Metalurgs** before moving to **Zagłębie Lubin**, where he played sporadically as an 18-year-old. He then had a successful loan spell at GKS Katowice, scoring 16 goals in 47 appearances.

In 2014, Rakels joined **Cracovia**, becoming a fan favorite and finishing as the team’s top scorer in the 2015/16 season with 15 goals in 20 games. This led to his move to **Reading** in the English Championship. He started strong there but suffered a fractured ankle the following season that hampered his progress, and his time with Reading was over.

Following loan spells with **Lech Poznań** and a return to Cracovia, where he could not return to his old form, he moved to Cypriot side Pafos. Later, he returned to Latvia, where he won titles with both **[Riga FC](https://balticfootballnews.com/?page_id=882 "Riga FC")** and **[FC RFS](https://balticfootballnews.com/?page_id=857 "FC RFS")**. After a short stint with **[SK Super Nova](https://balticfootballnews.com/?page_id=3510 "SK Super Nova")**, in the summer of 2023, Deniss signed with Hutnik Kraków. He made 50 appearances and contributed 13 goals and nine assists.

Now, Rakels has joined Zagłębie Sosnowiec, a team that recently faced relegation to the third division. The club features notable players, including the current team’s top scorer and once a Riga FC forward Kamil Bilinski, as well as former Polish Ekstaklasa MVP Joel Valencia. Currently, Sosnowiec is in 6th place in the Polish 2. Liga table.

**Source:** [https://zaglebie.eu/wpisy/deniss-rakels-nowym-zawodnikiem-zaglebia-sosnowiec/](https://zaglebie.eu/wpisy/deniss-rakels-nowym-zawodnikiem-zaglebia-sosnowiec/)