Polish FA criticised after appointing national team coach linked to match-fixer

The unveiling by Poland’s football association today of a new manager of the men’s national team has raised controversy after they chose a coach linked to a figure convicted for his role in match-fixing.

A number of commentators criticised the appointment of Czesław Michniewicz, who is documented as having spoken by phone hundreds of times with a man described as “godfather of the football mafia”. However, Michniewicz defended himself at a press conference, accusing his critics of talking “rubbish”.

The decision to hire Michniewicz ended over a month of speculation and uncertainty since the previous occupant, Paulo Sousa, unexpectedly quit to take a job in Brazil just three months before he was due to lead Poland’s into playoffs to qualify for this year’s World Cup.

Poland face Russia in Moscow on 24 March. If they win that match, they will host Sweden or the Czech Republic five days later for a spot in the World Cup, which will take place in Qatar in November and December.

Michniewicz – the 51-year-old former coach of Legia Warsaw and the Polish U-21 side – was announced today as the man to lead Poland into those games by Cezary Kulesza, president of the Polish Football Association (PZPN).

“I think this is the best choice for our national team before the forthcoming challenges,” wrote Kulsza, who has handed Michniewicz a contract until the end of this year, with the option of cutting it short after the March playoffs. “We are now just thinking about #MissionMoscow!”.

At today’s press conference, Michniewicz wanted to concentrate on football, telling journalists of his plans to meet talismanic striker Robert Lewandowski as well as other key players in the coming days.

Many commentators, however, quickly pointed to question marks over Michniewicz’s past, noting his links to the biggest ever corruption scandal in Polish football.

Prosecutors investigating match-fixing determined that, between July 2003 and October 2005, Michniewicz, who was then manager of Lech Poznań, spoke by phone 711 times with Ryszard F., also known as “the Barber”, who has been described as “the godfather of the football mafia” and convicted for match-fixing.

Ryszard F. told one of his collaborators that Michniewicz was aware of the match-fixing, reports Gazeta Wyborcza. The newspaper says that Ryszard F. had even allegedly dictated the line-up Lech Poznań should put out for one match. But Michniewicz always denied this, saying in 2010 that it was “nonsense”.

Although Michniewicz’s name comes up repeatedly in court documents on the so-called “Barber’s Gang”, he has himself never faced charges or been treated as a suspect in corruption in football, reports TVN24.

But his association with the affair make him an unsuitable candidate, according to journalists including Krzysztof Gaweł, who wrote for NaTemat that Michniewicz “got his hands dirty in the corruption scandal and should never have been even considered in the context of work with the ‘white and reds’ [national team]”.

Gaweł called it “a scandal and shame for the entire community, and another journalist”, Szymon Jadczak, concurred, saying that this was “a day of disgrace for Polish football”

Michniewicz responded to questions from Jadczak and others by emphasising that he had “done nothing wrong” and there was no reason for him not to be national coach. “The situation took place 18 years ago. I worked with Ryszard F., who was my superior,” he said.

Pressed to comment on specific matches from the period, Michniewicz told Jadczak: “Your statement is suited for the prosecutor’s office. It’s rubbish. If you are suggesting that I knew about a match being sold, you are stating an untruth.”

“If there had been a court ruling [against him], Michniewicz would not be sitting with us,” added Kulesza. “Calling him a ‘mafia man’ is offensive. I am interested in the sporting aspect, not the prosecutorial one.”

Main image credit: Kuba Atys/Agencja Wyborcza.pl

Ben Koschalka

Ben Koschalka is a translator and senior editor at Notes from Poland. Originally from Britain, he has lived in Kraków since 2005.