No ball games!

10th February 2012

The Polish Supercup, with Legia due to take on Wisla in the National Stadium this Saturday, was called off in farcical conditions this Wednesday after it was decided the PLN 2 bln stadium still isn’t ready to host a football match. The late decision has made it impossible to arrange a switch to another stadium and finding a date to play the Supercup any time this season at all will be very difficult.

It was 4pm Wednesday when the head of the Ekstraklasa, Andrzej Rusko, emerged from a last ditch meeting with the Mazowieckie Regional Governor and announced to reporters, “After listening to the views of the police and with an aching heart, but bearing in mind the safety of fans, I have decided to call off the match.”

The main problem is the lack of access between different levels of the terraces in the National Stadium. Maciej Karczynski, spokesman for the capital’s police commented, “The tests we conducted didn’t go well, so we were unable to change our opinion regarding the organisation of the match.”

The managers of both teams are angry at the debacle. Legia manager Maciej Skorza said bluntly, “I’ve arranged all our training around this game, It’s hardly surprising I’m upset. It was an important event for me, a real test before we play Sporting.” Legia play Sporting Lisbon in the Europa League next week.

Legia defender, Jakub Rzezniczak, took a more philosophical view of the matter, telling reporters, “I think it’s right that we’re not playing. I was genuinely worried about the safety of the fans, that something might happen and then they’d close the stadium.”

The National Sports Centre, the stadium’s official operator, pleaded innocence. “The National Stadium will be ready on Saturday and we have held all the necessary licenses for the building since December 16th. Work necessary to host the match is proceeding according to schedule,” claimed Rafal Kapler for NCS.

The stadium, though, still doesn’t have the pitch laid, there are the access problems that the police are unhappy with, and only six food outlets instead of the planned 50. Meanwhile, Polsat TV commentator Mateusz Borek had another bone to pick. “A friend of mine preparing the transmission phoned and asked me if I realised that there are no cabins for commentators. So I would freeze for two hours, while Mr Kapler would be sat in his director’s box sipping champagne,” the commentator told Przeglad Sportowy.