Poland won the World Cup qualifying match with lowly San Marino 2-0, questions remain, however, about whether its national coach, Dutchman Leo Beenhakker should continue coaching the team or rather step down.
Danuta Isler reports
Born in 1942 in Rotterdam international Dutch football coach Leo Beenhakker had managed several prestigious clubs including Ajax, Feyenoord, Real Madrid and Club America before he moved to work with the Polish national football team in July 2006. On 17 November 2007 beating Belgium 2-0, he managed to qualify with Polish national team to 2008 European Football Championship becoming the first coach ever to do so. On 20 February 2008 he was decorated for his achievements with the Order of Polonia Restituta by president Lech Kaczynski.
In the last eleven games, however, Poland won only three times and this may be the main reason behind the bad publicity the coach is currently enjoying - says Tomasz Włodarczyk of the Super Express sports desk: 'Before Euro 2008 Leo Beenhakker was almost like a god to fans, for the Polish Football Association and for everyone in Poland who enjoys football. And after EURO 2008 when the results were disappointing the atmosphere around him got much worse. I don't think he should react in a manner he reacted. He's quite arrogant to be honest and media don't like it.'
The media in Poland have also been full of rumors about alleged friction between the coach and the Polish Football Association - PZPN - since the Poland football squad's poor showing at Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland. Jerzy Engel, former national coach and PZPN member says the position of the organization is clear: 'We hold the opinion that contracts have to be maintained until they expire. This has been our stand on each and every coach so far and this is the way we will proceed in the case of Leo Beenhakker.'
Beenhakker still has the backing of PZPN head Michal Listkiewicz and a lucrative contract that expires in 2010 in his pocket but more and more people are pointing to his possible replacement - coach Henryk Kasperczak who is allegedly to sign the contract with the Polish club Gornik Zabrze. Some also say that a Polish coach would simply understand Polish players, their culture and language better. Others point to the fact that so far foreign coaches have proven far more successful than Polish coaches in many disciplines.
Tomasz Włodarczyk of the Super Express sports desk explains: 'He will definitely stay for the next few games. The whole situation is not that bad, we are first in the group so it's good but we have some difficult games in front of us. I am particularly worried about the atmosphere not in the media but in the national team and the relationship between coach and players. Something has to change. I think Leo Beenhakker has to change the way he treats not only media but players as well. And maybe it will go back on the good track. If not I think we need to change the coach.'
Poland, currently topping the 2010 World Cup qualifying Group 3, will play its next match against the Czech Republic on October 11.