Bankrupt Lions

4th February 2012

Legia Warszawa are preparing for their Europa League tie against Sporting Lisbon; but while it’s normal to look at the parlous state of Polish football finances, this time it seems it’s their opponents who are in trouble. The Lisbon club’s debts have now reached EUR 280 mln, but despite that, the team has recently managed to spend EUR 30 mln on new recruits.

A financial audit completed this week shows Legia’s rivals to be in a potentially catastrophic position, although its creditors are still in a position to support it. Hence the declaration of the club as being “technically bankrupt” in the official statement, meaning the club is still able to meet its ongoing commitments, including paying the players and backroom staff from its income.

However, the investment in the team has been premised on success, both at home as well as in the Champions League. So, if Legia manage to oust the Lions from the Europa league, and with the team struggling in fourth in the Poruguese league, outside the Champions League qualifying places, then that defeat could be the final nail in the coffin of the Portuguese giant.

How, or if, that will affect matters on the pitch will be revealed at the Pepsi Arena in Warsaw on Feb 16th, when the two sides play the first leg of their tie.

One player who will be unavailable to Legia is Ariel Borysiuk who made a long-awaited transfer to Kaiserslautern in the Bundesliga during the winter transfer window. The player was subject to a great deal of media speculation following offers from the German side and FC Brugge and following a hectic week of motorway travel between the two cities, the young Pole chose Germany.

“It was tough. I got two interesting offers. One from a club playing every year in the European cup competitions, fighting for the Belgian championship, and the other from the Bundesliga. I had to work hard to get to the Bundesliga, you know? I earned it at Legia, a club that’s really special to me, that’s why it was such a struggle to decide. It was the biggest decision of my life. Friday, Saturday, Sunday, three days I was totally stressed out. I lost three kilos in weight. When I stood on the scales in Kaiserslautern, I weighed the same as I had done when I went to Legia aged sixteen. And all the time I was thinking that I never won the Polish title. Then I would have felt satisfied with what I’d done for the club. I hope the lads will be able to win it without me, though,” explained Borysiuk.