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Soccer woes
By Adam Zdrodowski
A former Wisla Krakow coach was indicted on corruption charges last week.
This was the latest in a number of arrests that have crippled the sport
in Poland
Former soccer coach Andrzej B. was detained by Central Anticorruption
Bureau (CBA) agents in Warsaw last week on a total of 89 corruption charges.
According to a Wroclaw court's decision, he will remain in custody until
the end of March.
The Prosecutor's Office in Wroclaw suspects the detainee of match-fixing
during the 2003-2006 seasons. The coach is alleged to have paid zl.300,000
in bribes and to have promised another zl.100,000.
Andrzej B. has coached a number of soccer clubs including Hutnik Warszawa
and Znicz Pruszkow. In 2007, he became an assistant coach in Wisla Krakow
but resigned from the position following his first detention on corruption
charges in March 2008. The charges then included alleged match-fixing
while at the Korona Kielce sports club from 2003-2004.
The detention of Andrzej B. was only the latest development in a long
string of arrests over corruption charges related to Polish soccer. The
Prosecutor's Office in Wroclaw has been investigating the matter since
May 2005.
Almost 200 people, including players, coaches, referees and Polish Football
Association (PZPN) members have so far been arrested. These include former
soccer official Ryszard F., who is regarded as the mastermind behind the
match-fixing scheme. Until the detention of Andrzej B., he had the dubious
honor of having the most indictments, over 50.
The PZPN has repeatedly been accused of neglecting and mishandling the
corruption problem and the situation last year led to a serious conflict
with the Polish government. The government introduced an administrator
into the organization but had to remove him after international soccer
organization FIFA threatened to withdraw Poland's right to co-host the
Euro 2012 soccer championships with Ukraine.
Polish Sports Minister Miroslaw Drzewiecki recently told Rzeczpospolita
his position on the matter and said that the fight against corruption
would look different if Poland was not hosting Euro 2012. 'I am not a
proponent of paying the ultimate price [to fight corruption] if you can
get it cheaper. If you asked me if I would sacrifice the Euro 2012 to
wrestle with FIFA and UEFA, I would have answered no,' said Drzewiecki.
Warsaw Business
Journal, 17th February 2009
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