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Polish football league may face suspension
FIFA & UEFA - 29 January, 2007
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FIFA said it does not recognise an emergency FA board that was set up by the Polish Sports Ministry because of a nationwide match-fixing scandal and warned that the Polish football league may face suspension.
Andrzej Rusko, the provisional head of Polish football, said he is determined to hold off a FIFA ban that could ruin the national club's chance of reaching the European Championship finals. The Poles are a point behind Group A leaders Finland in the EURO 2008.
Rusko, who replaced Chief Executive Michal Listkiewicz, said he would fight to avoid the suspension and would stick to plans to renew the association's infrastructure and personnel.
Prosecutors in a two-year investigation into widespread bribery and match-fixing have now detained some 70 referees, club management and FA officials.
"In the football association, the situation is definitely much more serious than it was in Italy," Rusko said. "The members of the FA's management showed irresponsibility."
PZPN has been under fire for years over its failure to improve stadiums or utilize funds for better fields and training for the country's youth.
Rusko, who heads Poland's top flight Ekstraklasa, said PZPN did not generate enough cash to keep homegrown talent in Poland.
"Players in Poland are paid a maximum of EUR 200,000- 250,000 a year and that is not enough to keep people," Rusko said in an interview. "Maybe the newest distribution of marketing money this year will allow us to generate enough funds to keep a lot of these players.
"We also need to get more money into infrastructure, into upgrading stadiums. If we take these steps, we can move on.
"I do not believe that FIFA will suspend us. We will do everything in our power to make sure this does not happen."
Rusko and the sports ministry are hoping that if elections for the FA board are held by the end of March, FIFA will be more sympathetic.
Andrzej Rusko, the provisional head of Polish football, said he is determined to hold off a FIFA ban that could ruin the national club's chance of reaching the European Championship finals. The Poles are a point behind Group A leaders Finland in the EURO 2008.
Rusko, who replaced Chief Executive Michal Listkiewicz, said he would fight to avoid the suspension and would stick to plans to renew the association's infrastructure and personnel.
Prosecutors in a two-year investigation into widespread bribery and match-fixing have now detained some 70 referees, club management and FA officials.
"In the football association, the situation is definitely much more serious than it was in Italy," Rusko said. "The members of the FA's management showed irresponsibility."
PZPN has been under fire for years over its failure to improve stadiums or utilize funds for better fields and training for the country's youth.
Rusko, who heads Poland's top flight Ekstraklasa, said PZPN did not generate enough cash to keep homegrown talent in Poland.
"Players in Poland are paid a maximum of EUR 200,000- 250,000 a year and that is not enough to keep people," Rusko said in an interview. "Maybe the newest distribution of marketing money this year will allow us to generate enough funds to keep a lot of these players.
"We also need to get more money into infrastructure, into upgrading stadiums. If we take these steps, we can move on.
"I do not believe that FIFA will suspend us. We will do everything in our power to make sure this does not happen."
Rusko and the sports ministry are hoping that if elections for the FA board are held by the end of March, FIFA will be more sympathetic.
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