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Polish Football
Polish Culture: Poland Football
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Poland National Team
From the golden eras of the 1970s and early 1980's to the up and down fortunes of the last few decades, there is rarely a dull moment following the Polish national team.
The Polish Football Association (Polski Zwiazek Pilki Noznej) was formed in December 1919 and the national team played its first international two years later against Hungary in Budapest. The Baile Orly (the White Eagles) qualified for their first World Cup in 1934 (though later withdrew from the tournament). They also made it to the 1938 and 1954 tournaments.
It was in West Germany in 1974 that Poland excelled in the World Cup, finishing third. Grzegorz Lato scored seven goals that summer, making him the tournament's leading goalscorer. En route to that World Cup, Poland got a famous goalless draw at Wembley which saw them qualify for West Germany '74 at England's expense.
Following a disappointing showing in Argentina in 1978, where Poland were knocked out in the second round, they were once again upsetting the odds with a fine showing in Spain in 1982. Veteran Grzegorz Lato was still going strong at the tournament, which once again saw Poland finish third. Their 3-2 victory over France in the third-fourth play-off was arguably the best match ever witnessed at that stage of a World Cup.
This great Poland team also won Olympic gold in 1972 and followed it up with silver in 1976.
It was a case of boom to bust thereafter for Poland though. After their so-called 'golden generation' of players such as Lato, Andrzej Szarmach, Marek Kusto and Wladyslaw Zmuda retired, the nation failed to qualify for any major competitions between 1986 to 2002. The only moment to savour in that time was the achievement of the Olympic team which won silver at Barcelona in 1992.
Recent Tournaments
Poland finally broke their qualification hoodoo in 2002, making it to the World Cup in South Korea and Japan. Sadly though, they were eliminated at the group stages, as was the case for the Polish team at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Another significant landmark around this time was gaining qualification for the European Championships in 2008 for the first time. The tournament itself proved a painful experience for Poland, who managed just one point in their group. Polish-born striker Lukas Podolski got both goals for the Germany against Poland in a hard fought group game at that tournament, rather rubbing salt into the nation's wound.
Poland are currently ranked 73rd in the world by FIFA (as of December 2010), which is the nation's lowest ever standing. Clearly this is a transitional time for the Poles as they gear up to host the European Championships in 2012.
There are some positives to draw on though, with a talented, albeit largely inexperienced, pool of players of players available for national manager Franciszek Smuda to call upon. Striker Robert Lewandowski is one of the shining lights in the current national team. The Warsaw-born forward scored an impressive 32 goals in 58 games for Lech Poznan prior to a big money move to German Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund in 2010, where he has continued to excel. Winger Jakub Blaszcykowski and right-back Lukasz Piszcek also play for Dortmund and are key members of Smuda's squad. Striker Michal Kucharczyk of Legia Warszawa is considered as a top talent for the future.
Domestic League
The Polish professional league was formed in 1927 and currently 16 teams play in the top division known as the Ekstraklasa. The domestic season runs from late July through to May the following year, with each team in the top flight playing a total of 30 league games in a season (15 home, 15 away).
The division's most successful sides historically are Gornik Zabrze and Ruch Chorzow, with 14 titles a piece. It is not since 1989 that either of those teams has won the championship though. That year saw Chorzow win the league, one season earlier Zabrze had won its fourth consecutive title in the 1980s. Most recently, Wisla Krakow, Legia Warszawa and Lech Poznan have been the teams to beat in the Ekstraklasa.
Polish football has been rocked with a number of serious problems in the past few seasons. In 2007, eight professional teams were found guilty of corruption and either docked points or relegated as a result of their crimes. Football hooliganism has also blighted the game here and in 2008, Legia Warszawa were given a five year ban from competing in European competition after their fans went on the rampage in an Intertoto Cup match.
A fan ID system was introduced in Poland in August 2009, making it harder for convicted football hooligans to enter stadiums. Stiff jail terms of between three and five years have also been given to those committed of football related offences in recent times. Both seem to have has a positive impact on football violence in Poland over the last few years.
In addition to the Ekstraklasa, two popular domestic cup competitions exist in Poland. The Remes Puchar Polski or Polish Cup is the nation's equivalent of England's FA Cup with teams from amateur and non-league all the way through to the top division competing. The cup is open to any team registered with the Polish FA, regardless of whether they actually play in a league in the national pyramid. For that reason the cup is nicknamed Puchar Tysiaca Druzyn - 'The Cup of the Thousand Teams'. The Polish Super Cup meanwhile pits the Ekstraklasa Champions against the Polish Cup winners on an annual basis.
Domestic Giants
Polish clubs have struggled to make an impact in European competitions and only two clubs from the country have ever made it in to Champions League proper - Legia Warszawa in 1995-96 and Widzew Losz in 1982-83 and 1996-97.
2010 Ekstraklasa champions Lech Poznan have managed to restore some pride in Polish teams in Europe in the Europa League in 2010-2011. Having been knocked out by Sparta Praha in Champions League qualification, they went on to top their group in the Europa League. Notable performances included a 3-3 draw against Juventus in Turin, a 3-1 win over Premier League side Manchester City at home and a 1-1 in the return match with Juve.
With an impressive squad of internationals and playing in their incredible new Stadion Miejski, Poznan are the new big boys on the block in Polish football.
Having won seven of the last 12 Championships, Wisla Krakow are the league's other big hitters. The club holds a phenomenal European record of having been undefeated at home from September 16, 2001 through to November 11, 2006. The Stadion Wisla is one of the most intimidating venues in Poland and has been the nucleus for much of the club's success in recent times.
A mention should also be given here to Legia Warszawa, nine times league champions. The Legioniscu (Legionnaires) are one of the most well supported sides in the country and the Legia v Wisla Krakow game is considered to be the 'national derby' of Poland, much like the Juventus verses Inter Milan fixture in Italy.
The Future
The money that has been invested into Poland's football infrastructure as a result of winning the joint bid to stage Euro 2012 should hold the country's footballing future in good stead.
The country is now home to world class stadia and top class training facilities - the big question is, will Poland be able to produce national and club sides that can match these palatial surroundings?
Continued efforts to eradicate corruption and hooliganism from the game here are vital to attract larger crowds to domestic matches and in turn, raise football's profile in Poland. A successful Euro 2012 on and off the field for would go a long way to securing a brighter future for a nation which has endured mixed fortunes over the years.
One thing is for sure, the national side are a long way off matching the achievements of their golden side of the 1970s. There is much work to do here, but that won't faze Poland. They are a country that appears to reveal in the role of dark horse.
Andy Greeves
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