Poland placed in Group B for Euro 2008
“Poland is placed in Group B for the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship. In the first round, the team will play against Germany, Croatia and Austria. Croatia and Germany are bided as the favorites in the group. According to the team’s coach, Dutch Leo Beenhakker, the Polish players are not complaining.
The team’s coach told Gazeta Wyborcza that he was pleased with the line-up.
Most football lovers know the Euro Football Championship is deemed more difficult than even the World Cup. The level of football displayed amongst the European teams is incredibly high and only 16 teams take part. Given that the elimination process is ruthless, the teams that make it through to the Championships do not find themselves there because of luck.
Gazeta Wyborcza reports the Polish team is facing an uphill battle. The players will be making a debut at Euro 2008 and will have some tough matches ahead. Even the Austrians are confident they will have one game in the bag.
The Austrians have not won a single exhibition game in the last ten matches they have played. Embarrassed fans called for the team to be removed from the Championships. The toughest opponent will be Germany. Poland has never succeeded in winning against their neighbor. Artur Boruc, Poland’s goalie, told Gazeta Wyborcza he is looking forward to the game with Germany as it will be a chance to take revenge on the team that quashed Poland at the World Cup in 2006. During the World Cup, when Germany scored a goal in the last minute of the game, Boruc sat on the football pitch and cried. Germany’s coach Joachim Lew told Gazeta Wyborcza he would not go so far as saying the German squad was enthusiastic about the teams selected for Group B.
“”Of course we are always regarded as the favorite for the Championships, but even though we played on our own turf at the World Cup, we could not find a way to deal with Poland. And now the task will be even more difficult, because the Polish team is trained by the great Beenhakker.””
Poland will meet with Germany in Klagenfurt on June 8, with Austria in Vienna on June 12, and with Croatia on June 18 at Klagenfurt. Two teams out of the group will proceed to the quarter finals.
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