The Polish Problem

After a poor performance on the field as hosts of Euro 2012 and now a disappointing display throughout World Cup qualifiers; the Polish Football Association is once again trying to fix their sinking boat with chewing gum. The recent appointment of new manager Adam Nawalka from Polish side Gornik Zabrze has fans once again voicing their concerns. Skimming through countless comments online I'm amazed at just how much Polish people tend to contradict themselves by first criticizing and then praising different coaches throughout Poland's history. Though I have my own beliefs in the new coach, the major issue isn't whether or not the new man at the helm is suited, but instead the question is how PZPN (Polish Football Association) is going to restructure itself after years of what could only be called shit. It's no surprise to any Polish football fan that corruption, greed and everything in between is responsible for years of poor decision making on the part of the PFA. During the reign of Grzegorz Lato as PFA chief (2008-2012) tapes surfaced that clearly recorded PZPN members talking about skimming money, intended for youth development, into their own pockets. However, the only thing that restructured after the emergence of those tapes was the sacking of one board member while all the backlash seemed to just fade before Euro 2012. Today, the new PFA chief Zbigniew Boniek (Juventus star and Polish international) is spearheading change through gradual reforms, but many of the old farts are still there pulling their strings. The ideal solution to the Polish problem would be to destroy the current structure and replace all the money hounds with knowledgeable people committed to developing the game at the grassroots level. It seems like a pretty simple concept. Invest in football fields throughout Poland, fund lower football leagues and provide footballers with a means to get educated about the game. German international Lukas Podolski once mentioned that when he grew up in Germany he would leave his home and there would always be a football field ready for him to hone his skills. On the other hand, during his visits to family in Poland he noticed the same basic needs for footballers were not as readily available. Still, in a country ripe for corruption, with politicians influencing their own agendas through greed, how can an entire system as powerful (money=power) as PZPN be wiped clean? Well, one of the roads would be for Boniek to use his Juventus connection by getting former teammate UEFA President Michel Platini to pressure PZPN into using its funds for development. That option maybe a long shot since Platini is clearly focused at the moment on France hosting the next Euro, but a more direct approach could also lead to a positive change. Boniek could easily take it upon himself to get support for the development of the beautiful game in Poland. Why not just direct key funds towards building new fields and if any old fart objects or tries to sneak away some money then finally flash the light on the vodka guzzling vultures. Still, this is Poland and the bureaucracy involved would definitely make such an investment time consuming. However, even with these countless roadblocks, if we don't take the time now to change this structure we call PZPN then Poland might, and already is to be honest, fall into the bottom tier of world football. What else could be said about a football association whose own fans sing jebac, jebac PZPN, which simply means f**k PZPN.