Do Boju Polsko! Dream Group Is Drawn

With a mere seven months to Euro 2012, Poland found out its future opponents in what is arguably the biggest event to be held in the country. In the opening fixture on June 8th, Poland play Greece in Warsaw, followed four days later by a crunch match against old foes Russia. Southern neighbours Czech Republic were also drawn in group A, and will take on the co-hosts in the final group game in Wrocław on June 16th. All four nations will play in Wrocław.
 
Zinedine Zidane and Marco Van Basten proved lucky charms for Poland, as the football legends drew the seemingly ‘easiest’ sides from each pot. The news of Poland’s opponents was met with increasingly bigger cheers on Wrocław’s Rynek, where the draw was beamed-back onto a massive screen. Despite the optimism that the draw brought to Poland’s prospects, head coach Franciszek Smuda remained cautious after the draw: - This is not the group of death, but the points will not be easy either. Russia will most certainly prove stern opposition with top stars like Andrei Arshavin and Yuri Zhirkov amongst their ranks. Compare their squad with the might of Spain and Holland however, and it is clear Poland have dodged a bullet. An ageing Czech team are there for the taking, while the Greek’s outing at the last World Cup shows they are no world beaters either.

The draw might have been kind to Poland, but the lack of top sides in  Wrocław has left some disappointed. With Poznań and Gdańsk set to welcome group C’s cultural mix of fans from Spain, Italy, Croatia and Ireland, Wrocławians could be forgiven for being a tad jealous. The difference in quality between group C and A also provides a reason to be envious. It’s not all bad news for Wrocław though. Austerity hit Greece will arrive in the city looking for a good excuse to party, while Russian fans will be keen to make up for lost time having not qualified for the World Cup in South Africa. Wrocław’s excellent flight connections with Spain, Ireland and Italy will inevitably result in those fans making a quick visit to the city aswell. With Poznań just a two and a half hour train journey away, Wrocław is in a prime position to accommodate Group B fans before they travel to the city on matchday. Moreover, hoards of Czech fans are set to  make the short trip across the border, with Prague just a 300km drive away.  Wrocław Mayor Rafał Dutkiewicz has confirmed that he has had talks with the head of the Czech football federation, with a view to having the Czechs use Wrocław or Lower Silesia as their base. The location suits Czech team coach Michal Bilek, while Karel Haring from the Czech paper Daily Sport also believes their draw has been kind: - It's the least attractive group in terms of football, but geographically we are very close to Wrocław.

The draw itself was hosted  in Kiev, and featured peformances by Ukranian artists Virsky and Jamala, as well as a speech from Ukranian President Viktor Yanukovich. Additionally, presentation clips for each host city took pride of place. Wrocław’s own 30 second offering showed the city in all its glory, featuring  sublime shots of the Rynek, Hala Stulecia, the University and Ostrów Tumski. Before any balls were drawn, a moment was taken to remember football legend and Welsh coach Gary Speed who died tragically last month.  Another moving moment during the ceremony came in the shape of Viktor Ponedelnik’s stage appearance. The visually impaired star who was part of USSR’S 1960 euro championship winning side, was one of 13 former champions present at the ceremomy including Marco Van Basten, Zinedine Zidane, Peter Schmeichel and current Spanish international Joan Capdevila. In addition to the actual draw, the ceremony incorporated the launch of the official Euro 2012 football. Former Ukranian pole vaulting champion Sergei Bubka presented the ball which has been named the ‘Tango 12’ by Adidas. The German sports firm claim it is the most tested football in history, and that it offers players the best compromise between close control and spin. Sporting both the colours of Poland and Ukraine, the Tango 12 was also revealed as part of Wrocław’s live draw beamback on the Rynek.

Text: Przemek Pozowski

Editing and contribution: Gregor Gowans (Wrocław International)

Photography: Marek Przybyło / Aeroklub Wrocławski

Dodano: 12.12.2011

tags: Final Draw, Kiev, UEFA Euro 2012 TM, Wrocław