Relations between football fans and the Polish Football Association have never been easy – writes Fr. Jarosław Wąsowicz, chaplain to the President of the Republic of Poland, in Gazeta Polska.
It has varied over the years, but most often football supporters were not treated seriously by the Association. Failure to honor agreed rules, difficulties in organizing chants, bans on bringing in choreographies, obstacles at stadium entrances, problems with allocating an adequate number of tickets – these are everyday realities for club supporters. Often, penalties or restrictions carried political or ideological undertones. Much depended on who the Association was aligned with at a given time. For many years, the Polish Football Association was dominated by old-guard officials, that is, those originating from pre-1989 networks. Corruption and scandals of various kinds were rampant. One need only recall the 1989 film Piłkarski poker. It might have seemed like a classic Polish comedy set in the football world. We saw fixed matches, bribed referees, and dishonest officials. Years later, when many matters concerning Polish football came to light, it turned out that “Piłkarski poker” was not merely cinematic fiction – it often reflected the reality of the Polish league. The comrades-officials were having a good time.
In more recent times, as media reports continue to describe the exploits not only of the Polish federation but also of football officials worldwide, various scandals erupt from time to time. The most convenient way to cover them up is with a diversionary topic – and that topic, unchanged for years, has been the fans. This principle has been used repeatedly by Donald Tusk’s government. The Polish Football Association as well. It was so in the past, and it is so now. In such times of repression, actions occur that later become part of fan folklore. Under the previous government of the prime minister who “kicked the ball about,” there was the infamous “Widelec” operation targeting supporters of Legia Warsaw, along with the unlawful detention – as it later turned out – of leaders of that community. The penalty imposed on supporters of Lechia Gdańsk for a patriotic banner also became legendary. In 2009, after they displayed the choreography “17 IX 1939 – The Fourth Partition of Poland,” the club was fined by the Ekstraklasa League Commission. In subsequent rounds, banners with the same message appeared in stadiums across the country.
The choreography that the Polish Football Association did not allow into the Poland – Netherlands match will certainly also become legendary. On November 14, 2025, at the PGE Narodowy, contrary to prior arrangements with the national team supporters’ association, fans were not permitted to bring in the sector choreography “Do boju, Polsko,” to build a platform for leading chants, and there were also problems entering the stadium. The situation provoked a reaction from the fan community – and not only them. In electronic form, the choreography was displayed on the Presidential Palace on the day of the national team’s subsequent match against Malta.
It also appeared at several stadiums, most recently during the first match of the season for Górnik Zabrze.
Although initiatives were put forward to begin negotiations between the Polish Football Association and the fans, the Association does not back down. It is unclear whether this is its own decision or the result of political pressure. In any case, in recent days the Polish Football Association ended its cooperation with the “To My Polacy” Association, which was responsible for organizing chants and distributing tickets to supporters for national team matches. This is a sad conclusion to the events of last November and an attempt by the Association to dismantle a grassroots initiative aimed at restoring a proper atmosphere at our national team’s matches. A handful of enthusiasts, not normally connected with the fan community, decided to build support across divisions. To this end, they reached out to supporters’ associations of league clubs, secured sponsors, and invested significant time and financial resources. All of this is now to be squandered. The commitment that had produced excellent results is being erased.
The “To My Polacy” Association issued a statement regarding the situation, in which it once again detailed the course of events surrounding the Poland – Netherlands match. It clearly shows that from beginning to end, the football authorities misled not only the fans but later also the public.