FIFA world ranking:
65th
Group opponents:
Group A:
v. Greece – 8 June – National Stadium Warsaw, Warsaw
v. Russia – 12 June – National Stadium Warsaw, Warsaw
v. Czech Republic – 16 June – Municipal Stadium Wroclaw, Wroclaw
The road to the championship:
Poland qualified for EURO 2012 automatically as the co-hosts. The team’s preparation for the tournament has been mixed. The Poles managed a draw with Portugal (0-0), wins over Bosnia (1-0) and Hungary (2-1) and a loss to Italy (2-0) in recent friendlies.
Poland has some success at the international level, with two World Cup third-place finishes (1974 & 1982) as well as Olympic Gold (1972) and silver (1976 & 1992). Sadly, that is the extent of Poland’s footballing joy. 2008 was the first European Championships the Poles qualified for, of which they had little impact upon.
As co-hosts of EURO 2012, Poland will be desperate to show the world its potential as a footballing nation, both on and off the field.
Past success:
Group Stage: 2008
Star players:
Jakub Błaszczykowski – as captain of Poland, Błaszczykowski enjoyed a second Bundesliga title with Borussia Dortmund in 2011/12, and scored five goals in the process. A key midfielder, Błaszczykowski was voted Polish Footballer of the Year in 2008. Błaszczykowski’s passing and vision through the midfield will be vital to Poland’s EURO 2012 hopes.
Łukasz Fabiański – One of Arsenal’s two Polish goalkeepers, Fabiański seems to either be brilliant or woeful. While injuries and form have limited his ability to cement his no.1 spot at both the Emirates and for Poland, Fabiański has the potential to be one of Europe’s better goalkeepers. And he likes to dance.
Player to watch out for:
Wojciech Szczesny – the latest in a long line of quality Polish goalkeepers, Arsenal’s Szczesny follows in the footsteps of Jerzy Dudek, Tomasz Kuszack, Artur Boruc; who have all worn the no. 1 jersey for the country in recent years.
The second of Arsenal’s Polish ‘keepers, Szczesny has provided stiff competition for Fabiański, both at the Emirates and with Poland. Szczesny enjoyed an extended run in goal for the Gunners in the 2010/11 season, after Fabiański injured his shoulder. A fit Fabiański is most likely the favourite to keep for Poland at EURO 2012, any blunders are likely to see Szczesny take over the ‘keeping duties.
The coach:
Franciszek Smuda – After guiding Widzew Łódź (1996 & 1997) and Wisła Kraków (1999) to Polish League titles, Smuda enjoyed a successful club career with a number of Polish clubs. 2009 saw his appointment to the national team, replacing Stefan Majewski. While Smuda failed to qualify Poland for the 2012 FIFA World Cup, he will hope for success at EURO 2012 after Poland gained automatic qualification.
Classic EURO moment:
EURO 2012 – Winning the rights to co-host the 2012 tournament, alongside Ukraine, is arguably Poland’s greatest EURO achievement. The 2008 tournament was the only other time Poland has qualified for the finals, which ended with barely a whimper.
Prediction:
The draw has been exceptionally kind for Poland, who will believe that this is a great chance to reach the quarter finals for the first time. Backed by their vocal and colourful home fans, the Poles are more than capable of beating the Greeks in the first match, then snatching points off both Russia and the Czech Republic.
Home sides usually perform at tournaments, and Poland should be no exception at EURO 2012. The Biało-czerwoni will make the Quarter Finals.
Shane Palmer is a third-year Bachelor of Journalism student at La Trobe, and is part of the upstart editorial team. You can follow him on Twitter: @SDPalmer12.
upstart is previewing each of the final teams in the lead up to the EURO 2012. Tomorrow’s team: Greece.
