Euro 2012: Newsfile
A statue dedicated to Polish football legend Kazimierz Deyna was unveiled outside the home of Legia stadium on Wednesday in Warsaw. The player’s ashes were interred in his homeland during an emotional ceremony two decades after his death in a car crash in the US. Getty
The ashes of one of Poland’s greatest players, Kazimierz Deyna, were placed at the Powazki Cemetery in Warsaw this week having been brought home almost 23 years after he was killed in a car crash in San Diego.
A Polish honour guard, officials and hundreds of fans attended to mark the occasion and remember the gifted playmaker who was just 41 when he died.
Poland coach Franciszek Smuda attended a mass to initiate an all-day ceremony ending at the stadium of Deyna’s former club Legia Warsaw, where his monument was unveiled.
The ceremony was organised by Legia fans who had collected the money to build the monument to Deyna, who played for the club from 1966 to 1978 scoring 93 goals.
Deyna was a member of the Poland team that finished third at the World Cup in 1974 and was also named Poland’s footballer of the 20th century.
He starred in the 1981 film Escape to Victory as Paul Wolcheck while he moved to US soccer after an unsuccessful stint at Manchester City.
- Brendan O’Brien
Borussia Dortmund’s Polish midfielder Jakub Blaszczykowski revealed he will discuss his future with the club after Euro 2012, although he insists he is happy with the Bundesliga champions.
Blaszczykowski has a year to run on his deal with the Westphalians and is attracting interest from several European clubs.
“I will speak to Dortmund first,” he said. “I have had a wonderful time here and have received a lot of faith from Jurgen Klopp.
“I believe that I have also paid that back. The coach is right when he says that it cannot be easy to leave the club now.”
Blazszcykowski has won back-to-back German titles as well as the German Cup last month, another reason why he has such a big decision. “It is not about money, I am only 26 and I want to win titles,” he told Kicker magazine. “I’ll take my time before deciding.”
Having had their landing delayed by thunder and lightning, the Swedish Euro 2012 squad are finally settling into their isolated luxury base on the outskirts of Kiev.
Amid tennis courts and swimming pools, imported Swedish coffee and a raft of computer games, there is no shortage of entertainment for the Swedes.
There is every feature one could expect from a top-class modern hotel and having booked every room in the complex, the Swedes have it all to themselves.
“I’m delighted that all our games are here,” defender Jonas Olsson said. “If you can avoid any pointless travelling during a tournament, it’s much better. England will have to fly in here, and I wouldn’t like to be in their place.”
Paul Gascoigne is backing Andy Carroll to hit form for England at Euro 2012.
With Wayne Rooney suspended, Liverpool’s £35million man is in contention to lead England’s attack against France in Donetsk on Monday.
Gascoigne said: “The guy needs a boost and you never know what comes out of these tournaments. It would boost his morale (to play) because he’s not had the best of seasons. But he’s coming good.”
Meanwhile Fabio Capello is going to the European Championship — as part of UEFA’s technical team.
Capello, who quit as England boss in February, will be joined by former France and Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier on a panel that will look at the trends and talking points in Poland and Ukraine.
They will then produce a report on the tournament from a coach’s viewpoint.
Capello’s involvement was revealed yesterday, less than a week after the controversial Capello Index was confirmed as making a return for the tournament.
France manager Laurent Blanc has rallied behind former Manchester United team-mate Rio Ferdinand and said it was a surprise to see him left out of England’s Euro 2012 plans.
Blanc believes Ferdinand was left out because of non-sporting factors, which has been a suspicion widely held among followers of the England team.
Blanc said: “Every team has its problems and concerns. The English have injury problems but I know Rio Ferdinand. I think from afar that the choice to not take him isn’t a sporting choice.
“It has been surprising to not see him. If the manager has made the choice... I am not in his place.”
Blanc said: “I’m not going to interfere in the affairs of England. Rio Ferdinand is a very good player but (his exclusion) has been surprising with all the injuries in that department.”
England play France in their Euro 2012 opening match in Donetsk next Monday.
Germany captain Philipp Lahm insists there will be no special plans for dealing with the threat of Cristiano Ronaldo when they open their Euro 2012 campaign against Portugal tomorrow.
The Real Madrid forward has been picked out as the main danger in Germany’s first group fixture, but Lahm says Germany know how to take care of him and will not be focusing on just one opponent.
“Ronaldo is one of the best players in the world,” said the Bayern Munich full-back. “He has great pace, dribbles at you quickly, and he has a good finish with both legs and his head. He is a complete player and we have got to defend him as a team. You cannot go one on one against Ronaldo.”
Lahm will be relieved of much of the responsibility of dealing with Portugal’s dangerman after confirming he will be playing wide left throughout Euro 2012.
“I have discussed it with the coach and he sees me better on the left.”
Low has also seen improvements in the condition of injury concerns Per Mertesacker, Miroslav Klose and Bastian Schweinsteiger in recent days, and all three should be available for selection.
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