Poland - Euro 2008 Team Profile

Marc Fox reports...

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Road to Switzerland / Austria

Four points from their opening two qualifiers in Group A had Polish supporters prematurely dismissing their nation's chances of breaking a barren run of appearances at the Euros. Having never actually qualified for the competition's final phase in 12 attempts - despite a decent history of World Cup involvement - Leo Beenhakker's side confounded their critics with a six-match winning sequence including a 2-1 victory over Portugal thanks to goals from Ebi Smolarek.

They then rebounded from a defeat to minnows Armenia to take another point off chief challengers the Portuguese with a late strike from impressive Wolfsberg midfielder Jacek Krzynówek. That proved decisive for the Poles as they finished by holding Serbia to a 2-2 draw to seal qualification by a solitary point.

Analysis

Still, unfancied Poland aren't exactly convincing neutrals of their capacity to take out the big prize despite trumping fourth-favourites Portugal in qualifying as well as outgunning Serbia and Finland. One of only two sides making their European Championship debut (the other is Austria), the FIFA ranked 20th nation are rated as rank outsiders by savvy bookmakers.

Still that's what they said about Greece four years ago. Ebi Smolarek (see key man) must retain his hot streak for the Poles to stand any chace, especially with Maciej Zurawski not the force he was prior to the 2006 World Cup in Germany. The former Celtic marksman earned the moniker 'Magic' after his first season in Glasgow but has since dropped out of favour at Parkhead following the arrival of Australian striker Scott McDonald and is now plying his trade in the Greek league.

Key player: Ebi Smolarek

Ebi Smolarek has always been earmarked as a high achiever in his homeland with the qualifying campaign in many ways his coming of age. The Spanish-based forward - he joined Racing Santander midway through the preliminaries from Borussia Dortmund - found the target nine times in the group phase but it was the 27-year-old's reliability against the big guns which ultimately propelled the Poles into their maiden European Championships.

The nippy striker scored a brace in the vital 2-1 win over Portugal but also struck both goals in a 2-0 home win over Belgium and snared a hat-trick against Kazakhstan. The son of Polish international player Wodzimierz Smolarek, Ebi was named Poland's player-of-the-year in 2007 for the third succession occasion.

One to watch: Jakub Blaszczykowski

Pacy winger Jakub Blaszczykowski thrives in Leo Beenhakker's straightforward system while also offers cover on the right side of defence if required. The 22-year-old, one season through a lucrative four-year contract with Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund, is the nephew of Jerzy Brzeczek, a former national team captain.

Coach

One sign of Leo Beenhakker's popularity in his adopted homeland was Polish president Lech Kaczynski presenting the Dutch journeyman coach with the Cross of the Order of the Rebirth of Poland for leading the team to Austria & Switzerland. Beenhakker previously oversaw the World Cup campaigns of Holland in 1990 and Trinidad and Tobago in 2006 and is already contracted to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Recent Previous Tournaments

1996: Did not qualify
2000: Did not qualify
2004: Did not qualify

Soccerphile says .....

Drawn in a tough group alongside co-hosts Austria, Germany and Croatia, Poland will need to get something from their opener against the Germans to progress. They have never beaten their near neighbours in competitive action.

Euro 2008 Squad

Bet on Euro 2008

Goalkeepers Artur Boruc (Celtic), Lukasz Fabianski (Arsenal), Wojciech Kowalewski (Korona Kielce)
Defenders Marcin Wasilewski (Anderlecht), Pawel Golanski (Steaua Bukarest), Mariusz Jop (FC Moscow), Jacek Bak (Austria Vienna), Michal Zewlakow (Olympiakos), Adam Kokoszka (Wisla Krakow), Jakub Wawrzyniak (Legia Warsaw), Dariusz Dudka (Wisla Krakow), Michal Pazdan (Gornik Zabrze)
Midfielders Mariusz Lewandowski (Shakhtar Donetsk), Lukasz Piszczek (Hertha Berlin), Rafal Murawski (Lech Poznan), Lukasz Gargula (GKS Belchatow), Roger Guerreiro (Legia Warsaw), Jacek Krzynowek (VfL Wolfsburg), Wojciech Lobodzinski (Wisla Krakow)
Forwards Euzebiusz Smolarek (Racing Santander), Maciej Zurawski (Larissa FC), Marek Saganowski (Southampton), Tomasz Zahorski (Gornik Zabrze)

Flights To Switzerland / Austria
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