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Polish FA board suspended by government
Poland - 23 January, 2007
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Another Polish national FA executive is being held for involvement in a 2-year match-fixing investigation.
Prosecutors in the southern city of Wroclaw apprehended Wit Zelasko, a well-known TV personality and an FA board member who is in charge of the referees. Zelasko's detention brings the total number charged in the scandal to about 60.
After the board refused to resign, Sports Minister Tomasz Lipiec appointed Andrzej Rusko, chief executive of Poland's top flight, as an emergency administrator until a new board could be elected.
"There are those who support change in the association and those who do not, but my only legal option was to suspend all of them," Lipiec said.
FIFA does not approve of government interference in the operation of domestic football and has in the past suspended federations who have been unable to respect its statutes and regulations.
"We are in contact with the Polish FA and aware of the issues there," said a FIFA spokesman. "We are analysing the situation and there are no further comments for the time being."
The Polish FA has been under fire since mid 2005, when prosecutors began an investigation into match-fixing that has involved dozens of referees, club and association officials.
FIFA may ban Poland from international competition because it suspended its FA board and also may have harmed its joint bid with Ukraine to host the 2012 European Championship, too.
The 35 members of the FA board said they would fight Lipiec's decision.
"He (Lipiec) can't just turn up today, put a pistol against my head and tell me I have to admit to my guilt for something I did not do," said Grzegorz Lato.
Lato was the top scorer at the 1974 World Cup when Poland came in third.
"We still have an appeal procedure and we will follow it."
Prosecutors in the southern city of Wroclaw apprehended Wit Zelasko, a well-known TV personality and an FA board member who is in charge of the referees. Zelasko's detention brings the total number charged in the scandal to about 60.
After the board refused to resign, Sports Minister Tomasz Lipiec appointed Andrzej Rusko, chief executive of Poland's top flight, as an emergency administrator until a new board could be elected.
"There are those who support change in the association and those who do not, but my only legal option was to suspend all of them," Lipiec said.
FIFA does not approve of government interference in the operation of domestic football and has in the past suspended federations who have been unable to respect its statutes and regulations.
"We are in contact with the Polish FA and aware of the issues there," said a FIFA spokesman. "We are analysing the situation and there are no further comments for the time being."
The Polish FA has been under fire since mid 2005, when prosecutors began an investigation into match-fixing that has involved dozens of referees, club and association officials.
FIFA may ban Poland from international competition because it suspended its FA board and also may have harmed its joint bid with Ukraine to host the 2012 European Championship, too.
The 35 members of the FA board said they would fight Lipiec's decision.
"He (Lipiec) can't just turn up today, put a pistol against my head and tell me I have to admit to my guilt for something I did not do," said Grzegorz Lato.
Lato was the top scorer at the 1974 World Cup when Poland came in third.
"We still have an appeal procedure and we will follow it."
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