When we play Poland

28 March 2009 - Poland (h)

5 September 2009 - Poland (a)

Poland do not have a National stadium, they play their matches all over Poland. We will not know the venue to nearer the time of the match.

The UEFA Euro 2012, commonly referred to as Euro 2012, will be the 14th European Championship for national football teams sanctioned by UEFA. Poland and Ukraine will be the host nations of the final tournament, scheduled for the summer of 2012.

The Polish-Ukrainian hosting is seen as a way of shifting the focus towards regions and nations of central and eastern Europe, whose population demonstrates a strong feeling for football, but are less developed in terms of the quality of the local leagues and football infrastructure, when compared with western Europe. Apart from Chorzów, Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk, the host cities are all popular tourist destinations. However, it is unclear if they have sufficient experience in accommodating large numbers of visitors for extended stays, and the existing transportation infrastructure within and between both countries is inadequate to allow a rapid flow of people between the venues. In order to improve this situation, the bid plans the expansion and modernization of roads and highways.

The Poland national football team (Polish: Reprezentacja Polski w piłce nożnej) is the national football team of Poland, under the auspices of the Polish Football Association.

It played its first international match on 18 December 1921 in Budapest against Hungary and was defeated 0:1. Poland won the Gold medal in the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, the Silver medal in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal and the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. In the World Cup, Poland finished third twice: in 1974 and 1982. Poland have qualified for this years European Championships

Poland (Polish: Polska), officially the Republic of Poland (Polish: Rzeczpospolita Polska), is a country in Central Europe on the boundary between Eastern and Western European continental masses,[2] and is considered by the United Nations a part of Eastern Europe. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine and Belarus to the east; and the Baltic Sea, Lithuania and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north. The total area of Poland is 312,679 km² (120,728 sq mi),[1] making it the 69th largest country in the world and 7th in Europe. Poland's population, concentrated mainly in urban areas, is over 38.5 million people which makes it the 33rd most populous country in the world.

Currency - złoty

Easyjet, Wizzair, Aer Lingus and Ryanair all fly to Poland.

Capital City - Warsaw

Warsaw, Poland's capital since the late 16th century,

is by far the biggest and fastest developing Polish city.

 Its population is estimated at 1.75 million and, as a

powerful economic and cultural centre, the city

attracts great numbers of people from all over

the country in the pursuit of education or better

job opportunities. According to some sources,

 some 18 new people move to the city daily.

Warsaw is also visited every year by thousands of

tourists from all over the world, especially during the summer.

The present character of the city is determined

by three important factors: World War II, over

40 years of communist rule and the present

 years of transformation with its in-flow of foreign capital

and investment. As any other European capital,

Warsaw is full of striking contrasts. Historical

monuments that were newly rebuilt after

World War II coexist with numerous examples

 post-war housing estates of grey concrete

tower blocks and ultra-modern glass office

buildings built since 1989. Similarly, the hassle

 and bustle of its lively city centre, the constant

flow of traffic and the crowds of people contrast with the

serenity of the many beautiful urban parks.

The capital of Poland was practically rebuilt from scratch after World War II. Warsaw's vibrant business downtown takes pride in its many skyscrapers and ambitious plans to build more. The catchy skyline is still dominated by the enormous Palace of Culture and Science – Stalin's donation to the nation. Warsaw is a world in itself, with an eastern European flavour. Do not miss the beautiful Old Town, the Royal Route, the Chopin museum, several magnificent palaces and the former Jewish ghetto.

Krakow

Krakow (Cracow) is one of the 12 places in the world

which has been included in the UNESCO World Cultural

 Heritage list. The architectural complex of the Old Town

has survived all the cataclysms of the past and preserved

 the same, unchanged layout since the Middle Ages.

The Old Town together with the Wieliczka Salt Mine

have been recognized as some of the most valuable

architectural treasures of the world. Krakow, which had

 been the capital of the Polish state until the 17th century

and has kept the character of a spiritual capital till the

present day, is at the same time an important cultural

centre. Krakow is the oldest Polish academic centre,

with the Jagellonian University founded in 1364, the

second oldest university in Middle Europe.To make

all of this even better, consider that everything you'll

see in Krakow is authentic. Miraculously, Krakow

escaped destruction during World War II. You're likely to

find only a few other places in Europe like that.

If you're after nightlife, friendly people, and gothic

architecture, you should be in heaven in Krakow. There

 are literally dozens of cellar bars and clubs located in

medieval vaults and basements. You'll find a lot of them near the Main Square. The nightlife opportunities in Krakow are virtually limitless so you shouldn't confine yourself just to the touristy Main Square area. Check out the hip former Jewish district Kazimierz.Many people also use Krakow as a base for short trips to Auschwitz or Zakopane - winter capital of Poland.

Poland

Head coach Leo Beenhakker

Captain Maciej Żurawski

Most caps Grzegorz Lato (100)

Top scorer Włodzimierz Lubański (48)

FIFA code POL

FIFA ranking 22

Highest FIFA ranking 16 (September 2007)

Lowest FIFA ranking 61 (March 1998)

Elo ranking 33

Highest Elo ranking 1 (Oct 1975)

Lowest Elo ranking 55 (Aug 1956, Apr 1998)

World Cup record

1930 Did Not Enter

1934 Withdrew during Qualifying

1938 Round 1 (Top 15)

1950 Did Not Enter

1954 Withdrew

1958 Did Not Qualify

1962 Did not qualify

1966 Did not qualify

1970 Did Not Qualify

1974 3rd place

1978 Round 2 (top 8)

1982 3rd place

1986 Round 2 (top 16)

1990 Did not qualify

1994 Did not qualify

1998 Did not qualify

2002 Round 1 (top 32)

2006 Round 1 (top 32

European Championship record

Poland will compete at Euro 2012 as a host nation. On November 17, 2007, Poland beat Belgium to secure their place in Euro 2008. This is the first time Poland has qualified for the European Championship. Euzebiusz Smolarek scored a double against Belgium to gain the qualifaction with one round of matches remaining.

1960 to 2004 - Did not qualify

2008 - Qualified

2012 - Host nation (together with Ukraine)