Listkiewicz defeated controversial former boss Marian Dziurowicz by 99 votes to 57 in a secret ballot carried out at the insistence of world governing body FIFA.
The news will not only be welcomed by FIFA, but by the German company UFA Sports.
The other runner in the leadership race, former soccer star Zbigniew Boniek is also the owner of Golden Goal, a sports marketing company which has been handling certain commercial rights through Poland's recent crisis. If Boniek had been elected president, it is considered likely he would have retained all his interests.
Former boss, Dziurowicz had been accused by the government of corruption, cronyism and autocratic rule.
International soccer authorities had threatened to bar Poland from the 2000 European championship unless a leadership vote was held. Listkiewicz has pledged to restore the credibility of his country's football industry by reforming its practices and structures: "Some PZPN people still have something to offer but there is no hiding the fact that many activists will have to seek jobs elsewhere," said Listkiewicz.
Listkiewicz's major challenge will be to ensure that most of the money from television broadcast rights go to the clubs. "It will be divided on a percentage-wise basis depending on how often each squad is shown on TV," he explained. "I don't think the PZPN should get more than 10-15 percent to finance youth soccer and its own operating costs." Listkiewicz said he wanted to pattern Polish soccer on arrangements existing in Germany where rights to Bundesliga broadcasts are sold en bloc rather than individually for each club.
He admitted, however that this take up to three years to effect since most clubs are under contract for the next two or three years.
The Polish soccer federation (PZPN), has elected Michal Listkiewicz, as their new president.
