Transfer Window: A Polish Perspective

Hi, my name is Tomasz. From now on I’ll be adding my posts to the Poland’s World Cup Blog. My aim is to write about the team as well as individual players wearing the white and red uniforms. There should be a lot of info to choose from as we participate in the Euro 2008, which always sparks controversy in terms of squad and tactics. Polish football is also quite susceptible to absurd situations and, hopefully, there will be much for me to report in the near future. Enjoy this blog as much as I enjoy writing for it.

So, the transfer window has been closed for more than two weeks now….Well, not if you’re a fan of Polish football; we’re still in the business. However, the most interesting transactions have already taken place. I’d like to use this space to give my opinion on the transactions that included players considered to stand the chance to be in the squad for Euro 2008. We’ll start with……
Maciej Zurawski (Celtic-Larissa) - I think that by this move our captain has proved how much he wants to be in a good shape in June. He could have easily waited for the end of the season and then cash in on a free transfer. However, everobody watching our friendly with Czechs saw that sitting on Celtic’s bench makes him lose his Magic powers. Now there’s hope for him and all the Polish fans. He’s already scored in Larissa debut against AEK and received positive reviews from the Greek press. The only drawback is that my Celtic nr 7 kit has suddenly become out of date. Hopefully it’ll become a collector’s item in the future (that is after he wins Euro 2008’s golden boot).
Grzegorz Rasiak (Southampton-Bolton) - The most laughed at Polish player (nicknamed Woody or, sarcastically, Rassinho) has once again proved everybody wrong. Now he has a chance to score the first Polish Premiership goal since 1992 (yep, it’s that long). On the other hand, it’s only a loan deal and I can’t see him winning a first squad place ahead of Diouf or Davies. Still, I’ll check Bolton’s scorers list on livescore with a pleasant thrill.
Radoslaw Matusiak (Heerenven-Wisla) - Another Polish player who couldn’t establish himself abroad. Lack of call-up for the Czechs game made him think. Firstly, he wanted to return to Belchatow, but the board there was stupid enough to gradually reduce the contract offer. This made Matusiak pissed off as he proposed to play for free. This offer, in some mysterious way, offended the Belchatow officials (welcome to the Polish league, where amazing happens) and they decided to reject it. That’s how Radomatu ended up in Wisla, where he should start enough games to keep fit. I still believe in his abilities and prefer him to Rasiak as Poles’ lone striker.
Wojciech Lobodzinski (Zaglebie-Wisla) - A player who is flourishing under Leo Beenhakker’s reign in Poland. In just a year he has come from a fringe player to scoring against Cech in the last friendly. Now it’s another big step for him, substituting small scale Zaglebie Lubin (sorry Maciek) for the full-of-pressure Wisla Cracow. Still has plenty of room to develop and it seems that he’ll be one of our strongest links in Austria.
Kamil Grosicki (Legia-FC Sion) - One of the best winter stories in Polish football. A transfer caused by…….. casino debts. Yep, Grosicki has been the best customer of Warsaw’s casinos for the last 6 months. In fact, he was so good that a lot of Legia’s players lent him money (far exceeding his yearly wages). Being in huge debts, he begged Legia to accept Sion’s offer so that he could repay it all with a signing fee. All in all, he is a very dynamic and skilled right winger, one of the best players of the younger generation (Leo rates him very highly). Supposedly, he is also addiction-free after an extensive therapy. Hopefully, he doesn’t know French and will be ashamed to even enter a Sion’s casino.

As I’ve written earlier, the transfer window in Poland lasts till the end of February so there’s still a chance for interesting transactions. Jacek Krzynowek desperately wants to leave Wolfsburg (he is a backup for Marcelinho there, which means that he will play…….well, he won’t play at all to be honest). Moreover, Lukasz Gargula (potentially the best Polish playmaker) wants to join his best mate Matusiak in Wisla. I’ll report on all of this in the future. The business never stops.