Robert Lewandowski is changing a club. Borussia lost the final of Champions Ligue. Three Poles play in Borussia. Everybody know that. Polish media have written about it daily for 2 weeks. In the same time polish handball team Vive Targi Kielce plays in Final Four (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012%E2%80%9313_EHF_Champions_League) and only fans of handball know that. Why football is for Polish people more important than other sports? Instead our national volleyball or handball team is one of the best of the world? I want to present a few concepts.
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| Robert Lewandowski - our 'national pride' |
1. We look at the others.
Many countries have very long traditions in football games.
In England the first modern set of rules for the code were established in 1863. England has also the world's oldest association football club (Sheffield F.C.), the oldest national governing body (The Football Association), the first national team, the oldest national knockout competition (the FA Cup) and the oldest national league (The Football League). The Premier League, is one of the most popular and richest sports leagues in the world. Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham and Liverpool are well-known in Europe.
Also in Spain football is national sport. Gran Derbi, match beetween FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, two leaders of Primera Division collects always thousands fans on Stadium and millions on a front of the TV. Every match is for Spanish occasion to make fiesta.
In Italy, Germany and France people enjoy football. They have good teams like Bayern Monachium, Schalke04, AS Roma, AC Milan, PSG...they have money for transfers, for the bests couches...In Poland we don't have money. But we have huge ambitions, so we try to be like other. With no effect.
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| Polish national team. 63th in FIFA's rank. Still worst than Burkina Faso, Haiti or Cameroon |
2. Football is more social and public then other sports. It is easy to play football.
New polish stadions, built for Euro 2012 can accommodate 185 thousands fans. For comparison: more then 3000 people in volleyball hall is rare situation. So do you see difference?
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| National Stadium in Warsaw accommodate 58 000 people |
3. We respect traditions.
In 70's our national team was quite good. Poland being mostly unknown on the international football scene before 1972. And then, suddenly, Poles won gold medal place in the Munich Olympics in 1972 and World Cup 3rd place in 1974. Our parents remember players like Boniek, Deyna, Lato or Żmuda and the best couch ever, Kazimierz Górski. They were the pride of the nation. We still remember how we were amazing in past and we cheer because we believe, that one day we will be back on a top.
Questions:
1. Do you like football and support our national team?
2. Do you believe that Poland can be in the first 10 teams again?
3. Maybe you have another idea, why is football our national sport?
http://nastadiony.pl/stadiony/warszawa-awf
http://www.fifa.com/worldranking/rankingtable/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_in_England
http://borussia24.pl/news/3167-robert-lewandowski-niekonczaca-sie-opowiesc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=E5wGqv6HLzg
During the Euro time it was something amazing. All the polish people were very exciting. Everyone belives that we get out of the group. On every balcon, window and car has hang his own white-red flag. This was the time when the football was the national sport. But after Euro, more and more people found out that we have 3 very big and important footbal players. I like very much see the matches, but especially these in which play big person.
ReplyDeleteI don't get why you think that we care about another nations? That's not exaclty true - look at Motor speedway and volleyball sports. We create two best ligues in Eurpe, even none don't really care about those discipline.
ReplyDeleteBut I totaly agree with the "tradition" reason. I think many people belive we can build same team like in the past.
Finally every school got footbal ground - evry boy plays soccer and feel like a star ;)
What do you think about future of Lewandowski and Kuba? They should live Borrusia?
ReplyDeleteI was in hope, that Lewandowski prepares for Premier Ligue. I belive he fits to clubs like Chelsea, Arsenal, or even Tottenham.
Last rumors say that he will hoin Bayern. I affraid that he's going to loose his compertition with Gomez and Mandzukic.
From second side, Kuba sad, he will stay in Borrusia with pleasure. In my opinion that was rather media move than real declaration.
I don't really like football, and i loose all hope to our national team. I wish them to win next Euro. I think it's possible, but they must hard working. I think problem lays in salary. They have get so much money for only playing not winning. I think the solve of bad games of our team is changing salary. If they don't win any math they will get 1000 zł and when they won some math they will get some more.
ReplyDeleteI think football is our national sport because polish people living history.
In my view, the problem is that the players do not show everything what they can do for national team. Most of the players who have played in the national team for a long time just looks like it was played for the fulfillment of their disliked obligation than in order to give their all. You can mention Lewandowski, who represent a number of matches does not show anything, and his club playing much better, and sometimes makes you want to see what he does with the ball.
ReplyDelete1. Honestly, football is not interesting for me. I don’t know, why people are so excited about that, because there are more extraordinary types of sport, in which players do not only kick the ball.
ReplyDelete2. I think that it’s possible, because we don’t know, who would play in our team in the future, or who would be our coach.
3. I think that people in Poland, especially media in our land, need some events, entertainment, about which they can speak and be excited, even if they have no successes in this sport
I like football, but I don't watching it regullarly. Only sometimes. I think that this sport is needed. Shows the competition, mobilize many men for sport, to develop their skills.
ReplyDeleteI think, that Poland can't be in first 10 teams again. Other teams are far better than ours.
I think like AB that football is very popular in Poland, because people need entertainment.
I am not and have never been a fun of football - just preferred other sports.
ReplyDeleteIn the '70 Polish National Team had notable successes in The Word Cup and Olympics - after that I assume it became a national sport. Although, it's funny that we are not successful anymore, we still love it.
A sport becomes "our national" when we succeed in it and all the kids start to practice it - ski-jump, volleyball, hand-ball are just a few to mention.
I'm not a big fan of football, but sometimes I willingly watch a game. However, during Euro 2012 I watched almost every match, because those games were really exciting.
ReplyDeleteI think it's strange that football is considered as Polish national sport. I agree that this is some kind of a tradition for Poles. Yet few decades ago, we had one of the best teams in Europe.
When it comes our chances to become one of the best teams, I am a person who never says never. Maybe in a few years we will have world-class players and we will be in the first 10 teams again :)
For me the popularity of our national team is so strange and for sure we should choose another sport which would represent our country. Perhaps volleyball or winter sports? for example jumping or running with Justyna Kowalczyk? I think that our sports policy failed. To much corruption contributes to weak scores of sports. In the nearest years I don't believe in Polish football strength and its recovery. We should focus on sports which merit on our attention.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteWhen I was young I was playing football, because I have three brothers and every young boy play footbal. It easy to play, as you wrote, because you need only ball. You can train allone, with small group or with twenty people, you can cooperate and compete. A lot of possibility in one sport
I believe in Polish players, but I think that they need good sport's psychologist to learn how cooperate and be sure the winner
Yes, I like football and I try to support our national team. I like watching matches, but not especially with our team. Someone can say that I am not a patriot, but I don't think so. I just think objectively. I don't believe that Poland can be in the first 10 teams again, because they are too weak for it. Some faiilures discouraged us so quickly... I don't say that we have got weak players. Our team work, cooperation aren't so good. I don't know why it is our national sport, but that's how people sing together or wear some special clothes is great.
ReplyDeleteI think it is part of our Polish culture. Even before this memorable match at Wembley with England we where interested in football. I think other sports also can be popular in Poland if we promote it as football. For example ski jumping also became our national sport from the year 2000.
ReplyDeleteI like watching football on TV, but there's usually nothing to see when our national team plays. I prefer Champions League, or World Cup, because those games are far more exciting. It would take a lot of time and money for Polish team to reach Top 10.
ReplyDeleteI prefer volleyball or rugby J Even though I’m not a big fan of football of course I support our national team!
ReplyDeleteI’m sure that one day Polish team will be in first 10 teams. Everything is possible! J The only question is when? We need a lot of improvement but I’m sure we will make it.
Why football is our national sport? I think that you’ve made a good point that soccer is the commonly played game in schools or backyards in Poland. Not only in our country. Football throughout the world is a popular national game. Nowadays FIFA World Cup is a huge entertainment and people love it.
I'm from Warsaw so my favourite football team is obviously Legia Warszawa. I'm not the type of supporter who know all the things about football league and Legia team but I enjoy Legia. I think Poland can be in the first 10 because we have excllent players. I think we need realy good coach who will have charisma, self-confidence, intelligence and experience. I agree with you because you wrote my case. To play football is needed inflated ball and ... two rucksach for columns. Everybody play football.
ReplyDeleteIn Poland we haven't money? Incorrect. Polish footbool for approximately five years has generally no financial problems. Teams have incomes from TV channels, players have good salaries. Financially aor football is in the middle of european leagues. But problem is in sporting skills of our footballers.
ReplyDeleteGenerally I used to like footbal. But since unlucy qualifications to World Championship in 2010 I stopped to support polish national team. I realised that is senseless. Polish mentality makes our football obsolete. But I still sometimes look how plays Wisła Kraków and Juventus Turyn.
I don't know a lot of about football but I really don't think that it is our culture, maybe tradition but not a culture. Football is some how similar to war. Two nations are fighting (playing) against each other, and public can watch it from tribune. It is a man sport, Poland is a patriarchal country and that’s why it is so popular and important.
ReplyDeleteI really don't like football (and any of team sport) so of course i do not support national or any other team. In my opinion it is equivalent of roman "bread and circuses". I think that in Poland football is "national" sport because in other european countries it is very important sport and what would be the point of football if we can't treat them as international war?
ReplyDeleteAs for me popularity of football in our country is caused by importance of it around the world. This sport is popular around the world so we can't be worse. Personally i don't like football, but sometimes, when i don't have anything to do, i'm watching matches.
ReplyDeleteI agree with JK. Football is very popular all over the world, and that’s way in Poland this sport is also popular.I don’t understand why, because in my opinion we don’t have good players . What’s more I don’t understand why this amount of money is spent on this sport. Why don’t have good results , so I think the government should spent more money on other disciplines, in which Poland is better.
ReplyDeleteI really love football. I am intresting especially in spanish and french league. But, to be honest, I do not believe that polish team could be in top 10 of the best teams. In my opinion we have to less very good football players. But in football nothing is sure! So maybe polish team someday will surprise me I think that football is our national sport, because is very emotion-laden. Most of people love it! In Poland almost everybody could be coach of national team, because most of people think that they are connoisseur of this sport
ReplyDeleteWell, I have to admit that I don't really understand why football so important in Poland is. I'm not saying that this is not a great sport, but let's be honest - we're not the best in the world playing football. Can a polish team suprised me one day? Maybe, I hope so. But I'm not naive. We should focus on volleyball.
ReplyDeleteI do not like football, the only time I was involved in what is happening on the playing field was Euro 2013. I was inovlved becauce I knew that for now I'm part of a history and I wanted to spend time with my contrymen, because rarely we're all together.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe that we'll be in top 10, now our representation looks like farce. The are like big joke.
I think that we (polish people) like football because of 70's, our fathers was raised on Górski's success, and wanted to raise us on same thing.
1. Do you like football and support our national team?
ReplyDeleteYes, I like football, I enjoy watching it. I like all the emotions. Actually I like very much english league and I don't support our national team, I don't care about this. Why should I, when we can see how approach to the matter have politicians, people in PZPN and polish football players. They don't want to cooperate, and football is a team sport.
2. Do you believe that Poland can be in the first 10 teams again?
Of course I believe, but it will not happen if some professionals won't take care about polish football.
3. Maybe you have another idea, why is football our national sport?
No, I don't see another reason why it is our national sport. A lot of people remember 1972 and still wait for something like that once again. I think polish people want to be noticed in the world for something really great, like victory.
I regret that I hate Polish football. In my opinion, Polish representation does not represent nothing except his disability. The largest and most famous club in Warsaw "L" also does not have to be proud. I am surprised that his players have enough fans throughout the country. I do not believe that we soon came out of the hole, which has been going on for about three decades.
ReplyDeleteAnd why football is the national sport of Poles? I think that following the trends of other countries is a good answer.