Euro 2012

Former Poland forward Grzegorz Lato was voted president of the Polish FA (PZPN) on Thursday in an election called to avoid FIFA sanctions and the potential loss of the country’s right to co-host Euro 2012 with Ukraine.

Lato, top scorer at the 1974 World Cup, took 57 of 112 votes to win outright in the first round. He beat FA secretary-general Zdzislaw Krecina and government favourite Zbigniew Boniek, another ex-Poland forward, who got 36 and 19 votes respectively.

Lato said a successful Euro 2012 was one of his main goals along with improving relations with the government and repairing the tarnished image of the FA but local media have questioned his ability to deliver on his promises.

“I am counting on cooperation with the government, FIFA and UEFA. We all want the image of Polish football to improve and Euro 2012 to be a great success,” he said after being appointed.

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Not Warsaw, Poznan, Gdansk, Chorzów or Wroclaw but Cracow has turned out the best in the newest report of UEFA committee that estimates the preparations of Poland for Euro 2012.

Barbra Janik, the manager of Cracovian office of Euro matters assures that Cracow left behind the remaining five cities. However, the distance is increasing. The journal “Polska” got fragments from the newest report of UEFA. Cracow can be praised, because despite several restrictions from Platini experts, the city was showed as the example to be followed.

UEFA, when estimating the progress of works, use the system of colours. Changing it one the school grades the white colour equals the five grade, green - four, yellow - three, orange - two and red - one. There isn’t number 6. Cracow is yellow-green says Rafał Kapler, the vice-chairman of the PL.2012 company that was set up to manage, coordinate and supervise the organization of Euro 2012. He adds that the report is secret, that is why I do not want to talk in details but it was exceptionally good for Cracow and different cities can envy you.

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‘We can sleep calmly’ - says Michal Listkiewicz. ‘They will not take away Euro from us” - added Mirosław Drzewiecki, the minister of sport.

Both of them were right. Now, during the debates in Bordeaus, The Executive Committee of UEFA confirmed that the Europe championship will be organized in 2012 by Poland and Ukraine. The fact that we have Euro has been confirmed today by the Executive Committee of UEFA in Bordeaux. However, the activists warned that both countries has to accelerate preparatory works.

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Not everyone liked the UEFA’s decision of leaving the organization of the European football championships in 2012 for Poland and Ukraine.

The Germans had the most grudges, but this shouldn’t came as a surprise to anybody as it’s widely known that our western neighbors wanted to take over the event most.

According to the daily “Die Welt”, UEFA president Michel Platini gave Poland and Ukraine “a yellow card and a warning” but he is endangered himself by “a red card” and the European Championships are endangered by a fiasco.

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It Was the shortest football war of modern Europe. After a week’s clash with PZPN polish government capitulated.

The removal of the probation officer from the PZPN and instead of this a supervision of a special commission on election in the association, which in addition to this is going to bind itself to eliminate all the offences discovered by the ministerial control – that is the price which both sides had to pay not to let the ultimatum set by FIFA come into force. On wednesday, two days after the probation officer had been inducted to the PZPN the International Federation of Association Football threatened that it will suspend Polish football representation in selection matches for mundial. That would effect in canceling the matches with the Czech Republic and Slovakia planned fot 11th and 15th of October.

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Hard times came to Polish football. The UEFA, that once again threatened Poland to take away the organization of Euro 2012, is fed up with the fights between the Minister of Sport and the Polish Soccer Association.

FIFA lost patience as well, warning about the possibility of excluding Poland from the World Championship eliminations. The UEFA communication director, William Gaillard says: ‘In the document certifying the organization of Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine there is a clause stating that both football federations have good relations with its governments. In case of Poland this term is no longer fulfilled’. The attack on Polish sport comes also from the other side. On Wednesday FIFA warned that if the curator don’t retire from the Polish Soccer Association till 12.00 PM the Polish representation will be excluded from the World Championship eliminations in 2010.

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