Poland Popartuk.com
Football and Politics 1903-04 First club futbol teams formed. 1921 Polish Independence after the Treaty of Versailles. Polish Futbol Association was formed (PZPN). Polish National team formed. 1923 joined FIFA. Poland occupied from 1939-'45 by Nazi Germany. Placed heavy restrictions on futbol. 1955 founding member of UEFA. Chosen by UEFA to co-host the European Championship in 2012. Digitalbranding.pl
Golden Age for Polish Futbol Kazimierz Gorski 1972 Olympic Gold in Munich. 1974, '82 World Cup 3rd place finish. Strong showings in Euro 1976, World Cup '78. Kazmierzgorski.pl
Statement 1 Futbol in Poland, especially at the National level, is viewed as a joke, due to its lack of championships and recent success. The same sentiment is shared about the idea of Poland as a nation, and their ability to host the Euro 2012 tournament with success.
Reasons for this sentiment 2005 Ministry of Sports and Tourism launched investigations against PZPN and corruption in Polish club futbol. '07 PZPN board was suspended, but FIFA intervened. 2008 Polish Olympic Committee suspends PZPN president Michal Listkiewicz for corruption and match fixing. Former Polish star Gregorz Lato becomes president.
Hooliganism Became prominent in the 1970's, and has thrived ever since. BBC documentary Stadiums of Hate. Hooliganism seen as a result of living conditions in Poland. Guardian.co.uk
Statement 2 Political leaders in Poland want to use the Euro 2012 tournament as a stage to promote their country as a legitimate contributor to the success and ideals of the European Union and the Europeanization of sport.
Implementation Construction of new roads, trains, and rail lines. More border crossing points between Poland and Ukraine. Stadiums renovated and built. Racism and violence combated with tougher security measures. A chance to address certain problems on a national level. UEFA has praised Poland for its success, and even thought at one point to move the whole tournament there. Euro-Polish premier had dinner with a Nigerian born Polish Politician to ease the racial tensions leading up to the tournament.
Conclusion Only time will tell if Poland succeeds. Tough, strong willed, proud people. Hopefully this tournament will mark the beginning of a brighter future for the Polish National Team and the country of Poland as a whole. Poland.worldcupblog.org
" Administrator taking over scandal-hit Polish Federation." AFP. Web. 2 June 2012. <www.afp.google.com> Borowski, Chris, Strybel, Rob. "Euro-Polish premier Dines with Black MP to Repel Racism Label." Yahoo News. 7 June 2012 Web. 7 June 2012. <uk.news.yahoo.com> "Euro 2012: Players to be Booked if They Leave the Pitch Due to Racism." BBC News. BBC, 7 June 2012. Web. 7 June 2012. <http:/ /www.bbc.co.uk> "History." PZPN. Web. 4 June 2012. <www.pzpn.pl> Pakulniewicz, Michal. "Red Card for PZPN." Warsaw Business Journal. (2007). Web. 2 June 2012. <www.wbj.pl> "Poland Ready for Euro 2012." Ministry of Sport and Tourism of the Republic of Poland. 17 May 2012. Web. 3 June 2012 <articles.cnn.com> "Polish Police Ready to Crackdown on Euro 2012 Football Hooligans." CNN World. 28 May 2012. Web. 2 June 2012. <articles.cnn.com> Zachodny, Michal. "spiraling Costs, Ticketing Mixups, and the Threat of Defunct Stadia: Poland and Ukraine Have Plenty to Prove at Euro 2012." 29 May 2012. Web. 2 June 2012. <http:/ /www.goal.com> Zachodny, Michal. "Road to Nowhere-The Travel Nightmares and Cross-border Issues Facing Euros Fans Next Month." 31 May 2012. Web. 2 June 2012. <http:/ /www.goal.com>
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