Poles Abaord: Week Ahead

Tuesday 

• 2:45 PM EST- Wojciech Szczesny with Arsenal take on Everton.
• 2:45 PM EST- Tomasz Cywka with Derby County take on Ipswich Town.
• 2:45 PM EST- Radoslaw Majewski with Nottingham Forest take on Coventry City.
• 2:45 PM EST- Lukasz Zaluska with Celtic take on Aberdeen.
• 2:45 PM EST- Grzegorz Krychowiak with Stade de Reims take on Stade Rennes in the French Cup.  
• 3:00 PM EST- Tomasz Kuszczak with Manchester United take on Aston Villa.

Wednesday 

• 8:15 AM EST- Damien Perquis with Sochaux take on Chambery  in the French Cup.
• 2:00 PM EST- Roger Guerreiro with AEK Athens take on Panathinaikos in the Greek Cup. 
• 2:45 PM EST- Blazej Augustyn with Catania take on Cesena.
• 2:45 PM EST- Ludovic Obraniak with Lille take on Nantes in the French Cup.
• 2:45 PM EST- Adrian Mrowiec and Dawid Kucharski with Hearts' take on Rangers. 

Thursday 

• 2:45 PM EST- Kamil Glik with Bari take on Inter. 

 Friday

• 1:00 OM EST- Kamil Grosicki with Sivasspor take on Bursaspor. 
• 2:00 PM EST- Michal Janota with Go Ahead Eagles take on Emmen
• 2:30 PM EST- Jakub Blaszczykowski, Lukasz Piszczek and Robert Lewandowski with Borussia Dortmund take on Schalke 04. 

  
 Which matches will you be watching this week?  

Ekstraklasa Transfer Update

Wisla Krakow sign another star
Israeli international Maor Melikson has signed a 4,5-year contract with Wisla Krakow.The 26-year old midfielder passed his medical tests and will join the rest of the team tomorrow for training camp. He also holds a dual Israeli-Polish citizenship. His mother came to Israel from Poland where she lived near Krakow. Melikson has one cap for the Israeli national team. He made his debut against Uruguay in May 2010.

Latvian talent signs with Zaglebie Lubin 
18-year old striker Denis Rakels has signed a contract with Zaglebie Lubin until 2014. This last season, Rakels won the top scorer award in the Latvian Higher League (top-tier football in Latvia) scoring 18 goals in 26 matches. In 2009, he scored 9 goals in 14 matches. Rakels has made two appearances for the Latvian national team.

Krol will not play for Cracovia
Krzysztof Krol will not play for Cracovia Krakow this upcoming round. The two clubs, Cracovia and Jagiellonia did not come to an agreement for the defender. Rumors now speculate that Krol may join Polonia Bytom on loan.

Weekend Review: Bundesliga

German magazine Kicker gave Adam Matuszczyk a rating of 5,5 and Slawomir Peszko a 6 for their performances in FC Koln's 3-0 loss St. Pauli on Saturday.

The newspaper gives out a rating on a scale from 1-6. 1 meaning a world-class performance and 6 meaning a very poor performance.

Lukasz Piszczek received a rating of 2, Jakub Blaszczykowski 3,5, and Robert Lewandowski did not get rated after playing too short in Borussia Dortmund's 3-0 win over VfL Wolfsburg.

In the 2. Bundesliga, Sebastian Tyrala received a rating of 3 for his performance in VfL Osnabruck's 1-0 win over  Erzgebirge Aue.

Artur Wichniarek did not play in FC Ingolstadt's 1-1 draw with Oberhausen due to a injury.

Video: Boruc vs.Lazio

On Saturday, Artur Boruc played 90 minutes and made six saves in Fiorentina's 2-0 loss to Lazio.

Fabianski out for the rest of the season?

According to "Przeglad Sportowy", Lukasz Fabianski may need to go under the knife to solve a shoulder problem which has ruled him out of first team action since the Gunners drew 0-0 with Manchester City on January 5th.

It is understood that Fabianski picked up the injury during the warm-up ahead of the City clash and exacerbated the problem during the match. He is now waiting for a further assessment on Wednesday which could see the Arsenal medical team opt for surgery.

If surgery is needed, it could sideline Fabianski until the end of season.

Smuda's Kadra In Action

Goalkeepers

• Wojciech Szczesny (Arsenal)- Spend the whole match on the bench in a 2-1 win over Huddersfield in the FA Cup

• Przemysław Tyton (Roda JC)- Played 90 minutes in a 5-2 loss to Vitesse Arnhem

Defenders

• Lukasz Piszczek (Borussia Dormtund)- Played 90 minutes, received a yellow card and took one shot in a 3-0 win over VfL Wolfsburg.

• Kamil Glik (Bari)- Played 90 minutes in a 2-1 loss to Cagliari.

• Dariusz Dudka (Auxerre)- Played 90 minutes in a 2-0 loss to Caen. 

• Arkadiusz Glowacki (Trabzonspor)- Came off the bench in the 19th minute and received a red card in the 71st minute in a 2-0 loss to Fenerbahce.

• Tomasz Jodlowiec (Polonia Warszawa)- Winter break in Ekstraklasa

• Maciej Sadlok (Polonia Warszawa)- Winter break in Ekstraklasa

Midfielders 

• Grzegorz Krychowiak (Reims)- Started and received a red card in the 76th minute in a 2-0 loss to Istres. 

• Ludovic Obraniak (Lille)- Came off the bench in the 58th minute and recorded an assist in a 1-0 win over Lens.

• Adam Matuszczyk (FC Koln)- Started, played 76 minutes and received a yellow card in a 3-0 loss to St Pauli.

• Roger Guerreiro (AEK Athens)- Spend the whole match on the bench in a 2-0 win over Xanthi. 

• Jakub Blaszczykowski (Borussia Dortmund)- Started and played 70 minutes in a 3-0 win over VfL Wolfsburg.

• Rafal Murawski (Lech Poznan)- Winter break in Ekstraklasa 

• Adrian Mierzejewski (Polonia Warszawa)- Winter break in Ekstraklasa  

Forwards 

• Ireneusz Jelen (AJ Auxerre)- Played 90 minutes and took five shots in a 2-0 loss to Caen.

• Robert Lewandowski (Borussia Dortmund)- Came off the bench in the 71st minute in a 3-0 win over VfL Wolfsburg.

• Kamil Grosicki (Sivasspor)- Started and played 66 minutes in a 1-1 draw with Antalyaspor.

Nowak replaces injured Rybus

GKS Belchatow striker Dawid Nowak will replace injured Maciej Rybus in Poland's squad for friendly match against Moldavia.

Rybus suffered an injury during Legia Warszawa's training camp in Cyprus.

Last time Nowak represented Poland was before 2010 World Cup, when Poland took one Spain.

Poles Aboard: Saturday

English FA Cup

• Bartosz Bialkowski played 90 minutes and made five saves in Southampton's 2-1 loss to Manchester United.

• Tomasz Kuszczak spend the whole match on the bench in Manchester United's 2-1 win over Southampton.

Scottish Premier League

• Adrian Mrowiec spend the whole match on the bench in Hearts' 1-0 win over St Johnstone.

• Dawid Kucharski did not dress in Hearts' 1-0 win over St Johnstone.

Scottish Cup

• Lukasz Zaluska spend the whole match on the bench in Celtic's 4-1 win over Aberdeen.

Italian Serie A

• Artur Boruc played 90 minutes and made six saves in Fiorentina's 2-0 loss to Lazio.

German Bundesliga

• Jakub Blaszczykowski started and played 70 minutes in Borussia Dortmund's 3-0 win over VfL Wolfsburg.

• Lukasz Piszczek played 90 minutes, received a yellow card and took one shot in Borussia Dortmund's 3-0 win over VfL Wolfsburg.

• Robert Lewandowski came off the bench in the 70th minute in Borussia Dortmund's 3-0 win over VfL Wolfsburg.

• Slawomir Peszko started, played 45 minutes and received a yellow card in FC Koln's 3-0 loss to St Pauli.

• Adam Matuszczyk started, played 76 minutes and received a yellow card in FC Koln's 3-0 loss to St Pauli.

French Ligue 1

• Ireneusz Jelen played 90 minutes and took five shots in Auxerre's 2-0 loss to Caen.

• Dariusz Dudka played 90 minutes in Auxerre's 2-0 loss to Caen.

• Damien Perquis played 90 minutes and took one shot in Sochaux's 5-1 win over Stade Rennes.

French Ligue 2

• Grzegorz Krychowiak started and received a red card in the 76th minute in Stade de Reims' 2-0 loss to Istres.

Dutch Eredivisie

• Przemyslaw Tyton played 90 minutes in Roda's 5-2 loss to Vitesse Arnhem.

• Mateusz Prus spend the whole match on the bench in Roda's 5-2 loss to Vitesse Arnhem.

Turkish Super Lig

• Kamil Grosicki started and played 66 minutes in Sivasspor's 1-1 draw with Antalyaspor.

Greek Super League 

• Roger Guerreiro spend the whole match on the bench in AEK Athens' 2-0 win over Xanthi. 

Lazio top Viola with Boruc in Goal

Artur Boruc played 90 minutes and made six saves in Fiorentina's 2-0 loss to Lazio.

Boruc received a rating of 6.5/10 from goal.com

Goals allowed by Boruc 

Tough day for Poles in Germany

Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund returned to winning ways this afternoon with an impressive victory 3-0 at Wolfsburg. All three Poles took part in this win but Lukasz Piszczek was the only one who lasted the full 90 minutes. The Polish defender also received a yellow card. Jakub Blaszczykowski who was questionable for this match with an ankle injury started and played 70 minutes. He was replaced by fellow Pole Robert Lewandowski who started the match on the bench. Not even one shot was taken on goal from our Poles.

Elsewhere in Germany, in the battle of the strugglers, St Pauli waltzed past relegation-threatened FC Koln 3-0. Slawomir Peszko, who had a impressive debut last week, was one of the most disappointing players on the pitch. Peszko started and played 45 minutes. He also received a yellow card but easily could have been a red card. The other Pole, Adam Matuszczyk who scored a goal last week, started, played 76 minutes and also received a yellow card.

Poles Abroad: Weekend Schedule

Saturday

• 7:00 AM EST- Kamil Grosicki with Sivasspor take on Antalyaspor. 
•  9:00 AM EST- Grzegorz Krychowiak with Stade de Reims take on Istres.    
• 9:30 AM EST- Adam Matuszczyk and Slawomir Peszko with FC Koln take on St Pauli.
• 9:30 AM EST- Robert Lewandowski, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Lukasz Piszczek with Borussia Dortmund take on VfL Wolfsburg. 
• 10: 00 AM EST- Adrian Mrowiec and  Dawid Kucharskiwith Hearts take on St Johnstone.
• 10:00 AM EST- Lukasz Zaluska with Celtic take on Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup. 
• 12:00 AM EST- Artur Boruc with Fiorentina take on Lazio.
• 12:15 PM EST- Tomasz Kuszczak with Manchester United take on Southampton in the FA Cup. 
• 12:30 AM EST- Roger Guerriero with AEK Athens take on FC Xanthi.  
• 12:45 AM EST- Przemyslaw Tyton and Mateusz Prus with Roda take on Vitesse Arnhem.
• 1:00 AM EST- Dariusz Dudka and Ireneusz Jelen with Auxerre take on Caen.
• 1:00 AM EST- Damien Perquis with Sochaux take on Stade Rennes.
•  2:45 AM EST- Blazej Augustyn with Catania take on AC Milan. 
• 3:00 AM EST- Ludovic Obraniak with Lille take on Lens.

Sunday 

• 7:00 AM EST- Maciej Iwanski with Manisaspor take on Ankaragucu with Michal Zewlakow. 
• 7:00 AM EST- lukasz Fabianski and Wojciech Szczesny with Arsenal take on Huddersfield Town in the FA Cup. 
• 9:00 AM EST- Radoslaw Majewski with Nottingham Forest take on West Ham United in the FA Cup.
• 9:00 AM EST- Kamil Glik with Bari take on Cagliari.
• 12:00 AM EST- Pawel Brozek, Piotr Brozek and Arkadiusz Glowacki with Trabzonspor take on Fenerbahce. 
• 12:00 AM EST- Marcin Wasilewski with Anderlecht take on KV Mechelen. 

Monday

• 1:00 AM EST- Marcin Robak and Mariusz Pawelek with Konyaspor take on Eskisehirspor.  
• 2:00 AM EST- Michal Janota with Go Ahead Eagles take on Veendam.  

Which matches will you be watching this weekend?

Video: Janota's Goal and Assist

On Friday, Michal Janota scored a goal and assisted on the other in Go Ahead Eagles' 2-2 draw with Almere City FC

Who gets paid the most in the Ekstraklasa?

The Polish Ekstraklasa isn't known for giving away huge pay checks. Polish tabloid Fakt found out which players earn the most money in the Ekstraklasa.

Rafal Murawski who has just returned to Lech Poznan from Rubin Kazan will make the most money this year.

List of highest-paid players: 
1. Rafal Murawski (Lech Poznan) 1,660,000 zloty per year (551,838.40 U.S. dollars)
2. Ebi Smolarek (Polonia Warszawa)1,660,000 zloty per year (551,838.40 U.S. dollars)
3. Kew Jaliens (Wisla Krakow)1,660,000 zloty per year (551,838.40 U.S. dollars)
4. Manuel Arboleda (Lech Poznan) 1,540,000 zloty per year (531,144.46 US dollars)
5. Lukasz Gargula (Wisla Krakow) 1,280,000 zloty per year (441,470.72 US dollars)
6. Ivica Vrdoljak (Legia Warszawa) 1,200,000 zloty per year (413,878.80 US dollars)
7. Inaki Astiz (Legia Warszawa) 1,120,000 zloty per year (386,286.88 US dollars)
8. Dickson Choto (Legia Warszawa) 1,120,000 zloty per year (386,286.88 US dollars)
9. Manu (Legia Warszawa) 1,040,000 zloty per year (358,694.96 US dollars)
10. Semir Stilic (Lech Poznan) 1,000,000 zloty per year (344,899.00 US dollars)
11. Sergey Krivets (Lech Poznan)1,000,000 zloty per year (344,899.00 US dollars)

Are you surprised by who made the list? What do you think about this list?

Smuda about naturalizing players (in Polish)

Heres a interview in Polish with Frank Smuda. The Polish national team coach talks about naturalizing players.

Goal and assist for Janota

Polish youngster Michal Janota started the match between Go Ahead Eagles and Almere City FC on the bench but when he came on, he put on a show.

With his team down 2-0, the 20-year old midfielder came off the bench in the 68th minute and scored a goal in the 89th minute to cut the score to 2-1. In the dying moments of the match Go Ahead Eagles tied the match up at 2 when Janota send a long ball into the penalty box and team mate Koen van der Biezen scored.

That goal was Janota's fourth goal of the season. With 24 points, Go Ahead Eagles curently sit 12th in the Dutch second division.

Wenger: Szczesny is Arsenal’s No 1

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told arsenal.com that Wojciech Szczesny is Arsenal’s No 1 at the moment.

The Polish keeper has taken the gloves following injuries to Lukasz Fabianski and Manuel Almunia and now, the manager believes, the 20-year old has to be ousted from that position.

At Friday's press conference, Wenger also confirmed that Manuel Almunia would return to the squad this weekend after four months out with elbow and ankle injuries but may not start against Huddersfield.

-"At the moment Wojciech is No 1," said Wenger. "He's done nothing for me to take him out."

-"As for Sunday, I can rotate the goalkeepers. In the Cups I sometimes play different ones. But Almunia has not played for a long, long time," added Wenger.

arsenal.com 

Ekstraklasa Transfer Update

-

Bulgarian striker joins Wisla Krakow
Bulgarian striker Tsvetan Genkov has signed a 3,5-year contract with Wisla Krakow. Genkov last played for Russian side Dynamo Moscow. -"It's a deal," Genkov's agent Emil Danchev told Bulgarian media. "Genkov is a Wisla Krakow player and he'll join his new team mates at the training camp in Spain tomorrow." Genkov has made 11 appearances for the Bulgarian side. Can he replace Pawel Brozek at Wisla Krakow?

Wisla Krakow sign Cagliari midfielder on loan
Mikhail Sivakov has signed a half-year loan deal with Wisla Krakow. Sivakov is owned by Serie A side     Cagliari. The 23-year old midfielder has made one appearance for the Belarusian national team.

Murawski signs contract with Lech Poznan
Rafal Murawski has officially became a new member of Lech Poznan. The 29-year old midfielder has signed a 3,5-year contract with Kolejorz. Murawski left Lech for Rubin Kazan 18 months ago, scoring once in 30 league games for the Russian side. -"I didn't expect to be back at Lech so soon. I had a contract with Rubin, but for various reasons I decided to come back to Poland. Lech was my favorite option, but I knew there would be a big fee to pay, so I was not sure if they would decide to spend so much money. They did and I am grateful for that," said Murawski.

Korona sign Estonian international
Estonian international Sander Puri has signed a half-year loan deal with Korona Kielce. The winger last played for Greek side Larissa. The 22-year old made 27 appearances for the Estonian national team scoring two goals. He also won the Estonian Young Footballer of the Year in 2009.

Hernani receives Polish citizenship

Korona Kielce's Brazilian defender Hernani received a Polish passport and is now eligible to play for the Polish national team.

Hernani was born in Brazil, where he also began his football career. In 2003, Gornik Zabrze bought him from Brazilian side Avai Futebol Clube. After spending two seasons at Gornik, he moved to Korona Kielce in 2005 and has played there since.

Hernani has already stated that he would like to play for the Polish national team. But will Frank Smuda give him a shot?

Frank Smuda has already said that when Manuel Arboleda and Damien Perquis receive their Polish passports, he will call them up. So why not give a chance to Hernani, whose been one of the best defenders in the Ekstraklasa for many years.

Would you like to see Hernani wear an eagle on his chest?

Celeban called up to the Polish NT, Murawski will not play against Moldavia

Slask Wroclaw defender Piotr Celeban was called up to the Polish national team by Frank Smuda for friendly match against Moldavia.
  
Celeban made three appearances for the Polish national team under Leo Beenhakker.

However, Rafal Murawski will not play in Poland's friendly against Moldavia but will play against Norway. He will join the rest of the team just before the match against Norway.

Must-See Goal: Artjoms Rudnevs

On Wednesday, Artjoms Rudnevs scored a beautiful goal in Lech Poznan's 4-0 win over Lokomotiv Plovdiv.

Glowacki injured once again

Polish defender Arkadiusz Glowacki suffered an injury in Trabzonspor's 2-1 loss to Besiktas in the Turkish Cup on Wednesday. The 31-year old defender left the match in the 43rd minute.

Turkish media reports that Glowacki suffered a groin injury. It is still unknown how long Glowacki will be sidelined.

This past Tuesday, Glowacki was called up to the Polish national team for friendly match against Norway.

Glowacki has a long history of missing national team matches due to injury. In 2009, Frank Smuda selected him to play against Romania and Canada, but he sustained an injury in club action which ruled him out for those matches. He was also called up for the Ukraine and Australia friendlies in September but once again was removed from the squad after suffering an injury.

Platini praises Euro 2012 hosts

UEFA president Michel Platini has praised the tempo in which Poland and Ukraine are undertaking preparations ahead of the Euro 2012.

In a press conference marking 500 days before the initial kick-off of the championships in Warszawa in June next year, Platini said that “every day counts,” adding however, that both Poland and Ukraine had made “tremendous progress.”

"During the last year we saw new stadiums inaugurated and new air terminals put in operation. The pace of the work has made us at UEFA very confident that the necessary infrastructure will be ready well in advance," said
Platini.

Adamek signs contract to fight Klitschko

Polish boxer Tomasz Adamek has officially signed to fight one of the Klitschko brothers in Poland this September.

The Klitschko management group says the fight will take place either in Warszawa or in Wroclaw, at one of the stadiums being built for Euro 2012.

-"It doesn't make a difference to me which Klitschko I fight. Right now they are both the biggest stars in the boxing world right now and I want to fight the biggest stars. I'm grateful for the opportunity," said Adamek. 

-"I just signed a contract to fight Klitschko. It's the most important fight of my life and the most important in the history of Polish boxing," added Adamek.

Older brother Vitali Klitschko will defend his WBC heavyweight title against Odlanier Solis on March 19th in Koln, while younger brother Wladimir will fight Dereck Chisora on April 30th in Mannheim.

Adamek also plans a fight in April. Should all three lose, there will be no fight in September. Should one of the Klitschko brothers lose, the other will fight Adamek. If both Klitschkos win their fights, they will decide who will face Adamek.

Who should Poland start vs. Norway?

On February 9th, the Polish national team will play their second match of 2011 but first with a full team. Some new faces should get a chance in this friendly. Wojciech Szczesny, Arkadiusz Glowacki, Roger Guerriero and Grzegorz Krychowiak return to the national team after long absences. Will any of these players see some playing time minutes in this match?

Here are some lineups we can see Frank Smuda trot out against Norway on February 9th:

If Smuda decides to play a 4-2-3-1:

-------------------Lewandowski---------------------

Grosicki-------------Obraniak--------------Blaszczykowski

------------Matuszczyk--------Murawski-----------------

Dudka-------Jodlowiec----------Glowacki-------Piszczek

-----------------------Szczesny-----------------------------

If Smuda decides to play 4-4-2:

-------------Grosicki--------Lewandowski-------------

Obraniak-----------------------------------Blaszczykowski

------------Matuszczyk--------Murawski-----------------

Dudka-------Jodlowiec----------Glowacki-------Piszczek

-----------------------Szczesny-----------------------------

If Smuda decides to play a 4-3-2-1:

 -------------------Lewandowski-------------------------

-----------Obraniak----------------Blaszczykowski-------

------Matuszczyk----Krychowiak-----Murawski----------

Dudka-------Jodlowiec----------Glowacki-------Piszczek

-----------------------Szczesny-----------------------------

What do you think of the lineups above? Which of them would you prefer to see? What lineup would you like to see Frank Smuda use?

Share your thoughts below.

Brozek Twins Debut As Trabzonspor Lose

On Wednesday, former Wisla Krakow stars Pawel and Piotr Brozek debuted for their new club Trabzonspor. The twins club lost 2:1 to Besiktas in the Turkish Cup.

• Pawel Brozek played 90 minutes, recorded an assist and took two shots on goal.

• Piotr Brozek started and played 68 minutes.

• Arkadiusz Glowacki started and played 43 minutes.  

Pawel Brozek's assist

Dutch defender joins Wisla Krakow

 

Dutch defender Kew Jaliens has officially signed a 2,5-year contract with Wisla Krakow.

Jaliens is a very experienced central defender, who can also play on the right side. In the Dutch Eredivisie he has played almost 400 matches, while in European competition he played 50 times - played 10 matches in the UEFA Champions League, 33 in the UEFA Cup and 7 in the UEFA Europa League.

Jaliens has represented the Netherlands 10 times. He was selected for the 23-man Netherlands squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Jaliens played one game in the tournament against Argentina which Netherlands kept a clean sheet.

Poles Aboard: Wednesday

English Premier League

• Tomasz Kuszczak did not dress in Manchester United's 3-2 win over Blackpool.

English Championship

• Radoslaw Majewski spend the whole match on the bench in Nottingham Forest's 1-0 win over Bristol City. 

Arsenal with Szczesny reach Carling Cup final

Wojciech Szczesny played 90 minutes and made one save in Arsenal's 3-0 win over Ipswich Town. With this win, the Gunners have advanced to the Carling Cup final.

In the final, Arsenal will play the winner of Birmingham City/West Ham United which the second leg will be played tomorrow. In the first leg, West Ham United defeated Birmingham City 2:1.

Scary moment for Szczesny in the match

In the 13th minute, Szczesny collided with teammate Bacary Sagna. Szczesny stayed in the match but the Arsenal defender left four minutes after the accident.

Video: Boruc vs. Lecce

On Sunday, Artur Boruc played 90 minutes and made three saves in Fiorentina's 1-1 draw with Lecce.

Norway roster for Poland friendly announced

Norwegian national team coach Egil Olsen has called up 20 players for friendly match against Poland.

The Norway team is headlined by captain Brede Hangeland, John Carew and John Arne Riise.

          Goalkeepers: Espen Bugge Pettersen (Molde FK), Jon Knudsen (Stabaek IF)

Defenders: Vadim Demidov (Real Sociedad), Brede Hangeland (Fulham), Tom Hogli (Tromso IL), John Arne Riise (AS Roma), Espen Ruud (Odense Boldklub), Kjetil Waehler (Alborg Boldspilklub)

Midfielders: Christian Grindheim (Heerenveen), Henning Hauger (Stabaek IF), Ruben Yttergard Jenssen (Tromso IL), Petter Vaagan Moen (Queen's Park Rangers), Morten Gamst Pedersen (Blackburn Rovers FC), Bjorn Helge Riise (Fulham), Per Ciljan Skjelbred (Rosenborg BK), Alexander Tettey (Stade Rennais). 

Forwards: Mohammed Abdellaoue (Hannover 96), John Carew (Stoke City), Erik Huseklepp (SK Brann), Morten Moldskred (Rosenborg BK).

 What do you think about the Norwegian national team?

Smuda's call-ups for Norway match

Frank Smuda has also called up 18 players for the Norway friendly which will take place three days after the Moldova friendly.

Arkadiusz Glowacki, Roger Guerreiro, Wojciech Szczesny and Grzegorz Krychowiak return to the national team after long absences. Tomasz Jodlowiec, Maciej Sadlok, Rafal Murawski and Adrian Mierzejewski will take part in both friendlies.

          Goalkeepers: Wojciech Szczesny (Arsenal), Przemyslaw Tyton (Roda JC)

Defenders: Lukasz Piszczek (Borussia Dortmund), Kamil Glik (AS Bari), Dariusz Dudka (AJ Auxerre), Tomasz Jodlowiec (Polonia Warszawa), Maciej Sadlok (Polonia Warszawa), Arkadiusz Glowacki (Trabzonspor) 

Midfielders: Rafal Murawski (Lech Poznan), Ludovic Obraniak (Lille), Adam Matuszczyk (FC Koln), Roger Guerreiro (AEK Athens), Jakub Blaszczykowski (Borussia Dortmund), Adrian Mierzejewski (Polonia Warszawa), Grzegorz Krychowiak (Stade de Reims) 

Forwards: Robert Lewandowski (Borussia Dortmund), Ireneusz Jelen (AJ Auxerre), Kamil Grosicki (Sivasspor)

What do you think of the roster? Who are you most excited to see in this match? Anybody missing that you think should have been called in?

Smuda's call-ups for Moldova match

Poland national team head coach Frank Smuda has called up 19 Ekstraklasa-based players for friendly match against Moldova which will take place on February 6th.

Lots of young prospects are on the roster. After the Moldova friendly some players will say for the Norway friendly and the rest will return to their clubs.
  

Goalkeepers: Grzegorz Sandomierski (Jagiellonia Bialystok), Sebastian Malkowski (Lechia Gdansk)

Defenders: Hubert Wokakiewicz (Lech Poznan), Grzegorz Wojtkowiak (Lech Poznan), Marcin Kikut (Lech Poznan), Maciej Sadlok (Polonia Warszawa), Tomasz Jodlowiec (Polonia Warszawa), Jakub Rzezniczak (Legia Warszawa) 

Midfielders: Ariel Borysiuk (Legia Warszawa), Maciej Rybus (Legia Warszawa), Tomasz Bandrowski (Lech Poznan), Rafal Murawski (Lech Poznan), Szymon Pawlowski (Zaglebie Lubin), Dawid Plizga (Zaglebie Lubin), Janusz Gol (GKS Belchatow), Cezary Wilk (Wisla Krakow), Adrian Mierzejewski (Polonia Warszawa)

Forwards: Michal Kucharczyk (Legia Warszawa), Artur Sobiech (Polonia Warszawa)

What do you think of the roster? Who are you most excited to see in this match? Anybody missing that you think should have been called in?

Video: Grosicki's Debut vs. Galatasaray

On Sunday, Kamil Grosicki make his Turkish Super Lig debut against Galatasaray. His team lost 1-0 but the former Jagiellonia Bialystok had a decent performance.


Video from xFocused

Euro 2012 tickets available in March

Polish organizers of Euro 2012 say tickets will be available online starting March 1st.

The Polish organizing committee made the announcement Monday, 500 days before the start of the event. The tickets will be available through the website of European soccer's governing body.

The organizing committee insists all preparations are on track but Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk says that not all highways planned to link the host cities will be ready on time. But he adds that about 80 key projects such as stadiums, hotels and transportation links will be finished on schedule.

Weekend Review: Bundesliga

German magazine Kicker rewarded Adam Matuszczyk with a rating of 2 and Slawomir Peszko with a 2.5 for their performances in FC Koln's 3-0 win over Werder Bremen on Saturday.

Lukasz Piszczek received a rating of 4, Jakub Blaszczykowski 4.5, and Robert Lewandowski 5 for their performances in Borussia Dortmund's 1-1 draw with VfB Stuttgart.

In the 2. Bundesliga, Sebastian Tyrala received a rating of 2.5 for his performance in VfL Osnabruck's 1-0 loss to 1860 Munchen.

Artur Wichniarek did not play in FC Ingolstadt's 1-1 draw with MSV Duisburg due to a injury.

The newspaper gives out a rating on a scale from 1-6. 1 meaning a world-class performance and 6 meaning a very poor performance.

Breaking News: Murawski Returns To Lech Poznan

Rubin Kazan and Lech Poznan have came to an agreement over the transfer of Rafal Murawski. According to unofficial reports, Murawski has signed a 3,5-year contract with Lech Poznan.

Lech Poznan's sporting director Marek Pogorzelczyk has confimred that the transfer will be completed in the upcoming days.

Murawski left Lech Poznan and signed with the Russian club in the summer of 2009.

However, the Polish champions will not be allowed to use Murawski in the upcoming UEFA Europa League matches. The Polish international has already played in the current edition of the Champions League with Rubin, who will now also compete in the Europa League.

Poles Aboard: Sunday

Italian Serie A

• Artur Boruc played 90 minutes and made three saves in Fiorentina's 1-1 draw with Lecce.

• Kamil Glik played 90 minutes in Bari's 2-0 loss to Napoli.

Dutch Eredivisie

• Przemyslaw Tyton played 90 minutes in Roda's 3-0 win over Excelsior.

• Mateusz Prus spend the whole match on the bench in Roda's 3-0 win over Excelsior.

Turkish Super Lig

• Mariusz Pawelek played 90 minutes in Konyaspor's 0-0 draw with Bursaspor.

• Marcin Robak played 90 minutes in Konyaspor's 0-0 draw with Bursaspor.

• Kamil Grosicki played 90 minutes and took two shots in Sivasspor's 1-0 loss to Galatasaray.

Belgian Jupiler League

• Marcin Wasilewski played 90 minutes in Anderlecht's 2-0 win over Standard Liege.

French Cup

• Ludovic Obraniak started, played 80 minutes and recorded an assist in Lille's 1-0 win over ES Wasquehal.

Szalachowski to go on trial with Nantes

On Monday, Sebastian Szalachowski will leave Legia Warszawa's training camp in Cyrus and join Ligue 2 side FC Nantes on a four-day trail.

Szalachowski will take part in Nantes first-team practices and play some friendly matches.

After losing Maciej Iwanski to Manisaspor, Legia Warszawa may lose another important figure of their midfield.

Nantes play in the French Ligue 2. After 20 matches, they currently sit 7th in the standings with 29 points.

Fiorentina Draw With Boruc In Goal

Artur Boruc played 90 minutes and made three saves in Fiorentina's 1-1 draw with Lecce.

Only goal allowed by Boruc:

Must-See Goal: Adam Matuszczyk

For those who missed Adam Matuszczyk's brilliant goal against Werder Bremen, here it is:


Video from xFocused

Who should Smuda call up for the Norway friendly?

On February 9th, the Polish national team will their first match of 2011 with their full team. Three days earlier, Poland will play Moldova, but players playing aboard are not allowed to take part in this match beacuse the match does not fall on a FIFA international fixture date. Only Ekstraklasa-based player will play in the Moldova friendly.

On Monday, Smuda will announce the call ups for the Moldova and Norway friendlies. So who should Frank Smuda call up for the Norway friendly?

My call-ups if I was Smuda
Goalkeepers: Wojciech Szczesny, Przemyslaw Tyton

Defenders: Maciej Sadlok, Tomasz Jodlowiec, Grzegorz Wojtkowiak, Kamil Glik, Lukasz Piszczek, Arkadiusz Glowacki, Hubert Wolakiewicz

Midfielders: Rafal Murawski, Adam Matuszczyk, Jakub Blaszczykowski, Adrian Mierzejewski, Roger Guerreiro, Slawomir Peszko, Tomasz Cywka

Forwards: Robert Lewandowski, Kamil Grosicki, Artur Sobiech, Ireneusz Jelen, Pawel Brozek

Quick thoughts 

Only two keepers are needed for one friendly. I doubt Fabianski will receive called up as hes battling an injury. Smuda will must likely give a chance Szczesny or Tyton. Grzegorz Sandomierski will most likely get the full 90 minutes when Poland plays Moldova. I still don't see Smuda taking back Boruc or Kuszczak to the NT.

Poland must continue to battle without Sebastian Boenisch who is still out with an injury. One new addition to the defense is Arkadiusz Glowacki who looks healthy. I'm still not sure about Kamil Glik who is really under performing in the Serie A.

The most interesting topic of this training camp is going to be if Smuda will give Roger and Peszko another shot at the NT. Smuda promised to call up Tomasz Cywka who was brilliant in the start of the season but has really fallen lately.

The same forwards as usual. I don't see Ebi having a future with the NT. Jelen may not get called up as he just returned for a long injury. Pawel Brozek's NT future is still up in the air but looks good after he moved to Turkey.

My starting lineup against Norway:

What do you think about my call ups if I was Smuda? Who did I miss?

Wisla Krakow closing on Dutch international

On Monday, experienced Dutch defender Kew Jaliens will arrive in Krakow to undergo his medical tests. If the 32-year old successfully pass his medical tests, he will sign a contract with Wisla Krakow.

-"I am very happy with the 2,5-year contract that was proposed to me by Wisla. Because of my age, it might be a good opportunity and interesting way to end my football career. This is a challenge for me and my family. I know that every year Wisla fights for the championship. I would like to be a champion with Wisla Krakow," said Kew Jaliens.

The 32-year old defender has made about 400 appearances in this career in the Dutch Eredivisie. He has also made ten appearances for the Dutch national team. Jaliens was selected for the 23-man Netherlands squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He played two games in the tournament against Serbia and Montenegro and Argentina which in both matches Netherlands kept a clean sheet. He was set to be picked for Netherlands Euro 2008 squad, but an injury forced him out.

In this career, he played for Sparta, Willem II and AZ.

Poles Aboard: Saturday

English Premier League 

• Wojciech Szczesny played 90 minutes and made one save in Arsenal's 3-0 win over Wigan Athletic.

• Lukasz Fabianski did not dress due to injury in Arsenal's 3-0 win over Wigan Athletic.

• Tomasz Kuszczak spend the whole match on the bench in Manchester United's 5-0 win over Birmingham.

English Championship 

• Tomasz Cywka spend the whole match on the bench in Derby County's 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest.

• Radoslaw Majewski spend the whole match on the bench in Nottingham Forest's 1-0 win over Derby County. 

Scottish Premier League

• Adrian Mrowiec played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in Hearts' 1-0 win over Rangers.
   
• Dawid Kucharski did not dress in Hearts' 1-0 win over Rangers. 

• Lukasz Zaluska spend the whole match on the bench in Celtic's 1-0 win over Aberdeen.

Italian Serie A

• Blazej Augustyn did not dress in Catania's 2-0 loss to Parma. 

German Bundesliga

• Robert Lewandowski started, played 89 minutes and took four shots in Borussia Dortmund's 1-1 draw with Stuttgart.

• Jakub Blaszczykowski started, played 63 minutes and took one shot in Borussia Dortmund's 1-1 draw with Stuttgart..

• Lukasz Piszczek played 90 minutes in Borussia Dortmund's 1-1 draw with Stuttgart..

• Slawomir Peszko started, played 84 minutes, recorded an assist and took one shot in FC Koln's 3-0 win over Werder Bremen.

• Adam Matuszczyk played 90 minutes, scored a goal and took two shots in FC Koln's 3-0 win over Werder Bremen.

• Alan Stulin did not dress in Kaiserslautern's 5-1 loss to Bayern Munich.  

Turkish Super Lig 

• Maciej Iwanski did not dress in Manisaspor's 4-2 win over Karabukspor.
   
• Arkadiusz Glowacki played 90 minutes in Trabzonspor's 1-1 draw with Ankaragucu.
   
• Michal Zewlakow played 90 minutes in Ankaragucu's 1-1 draw with Trabzonspor.
   
• Pawel Brozek and Piotr Brozek did not dress in Trabzonspor's 1-1 draw with Ankaragucu.

Matuszczyk and Peszko secure a win for FC Koln

Relegation battlers FC Koln produced their best performance of the season to secure a 3-0 victory against a woeful Werder Bremen side.

• Slawomir Peszko started, played 84 minutes, recorded an assist and took one shot.

• Adam Matuszczyk played 90 minutes, scored a goal and took two shots.  

All Goals 



Peszko's assist on Podolski's goal

Quiet match for three Poles as BVB draw

Borussia Dortmund moved a point further ahead at the top with a 1-1 draw at home to struggling Stuttgart. BVB had taken the lead in the first half through Mario Gotze, but failed to put the game away and Pavel Pogrbenyak popped up to score a vital equalizer for the visitors six minutes from time.

•  Robert Lewandowski started, played 89 minutes and took four shots. 

• Jakub Blaszczykowski started, played 63 minutes and took one shot.

•  Lukasz Piszczek played 90 minutes. 

Full match highlights

Poles Aboard: Early Saturday

• Tomasz Cywka spend the whole match on the bench in Derby County's 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest.

• Radoslaw Majewski spend the whole match on the bench in Nottingham Forest's 1-0 win over Derby County. 

• Adrian Mrowiec played 90 minutes and received a yellow card in Hearts' 1-0 win over Rangers.

• Dawid Kucharski did not dress in Hearts' 1-0 win over Rangers.

• Maciej Iwanski did not dress in Manisaspor's 4-2 win over Karabukspor.  

• Arkadiusz Glowacki played 90 minutes in Trabzonspor's 1-1 draw with Ankaragucu.

• Michal Zewlakow played 90 minutes in Ankaragucu's 1-1 draw with Trabzonspor.

• Pawel Brozek and Piotr Brozek did not dress in Trabzonspor's 1-1 draw with Ankaragucu.

Poles Abroad: A Look Ahead

Saturday

• 7:00 AM EST- Maciej Iwanski with Manisaspor take on Karabukspor. 
• 7:45 AM EST- Dawid Kucharski and Adrian Mrowiec with Hearts take on Rangers. 
• 8:00 AM EST- Tomasz Cywka with Derby County take on Nottingham Forest with Radoslaw Majewski.
• 9:00 AM EST- Michal Zewlakow with Ankaragucu take on Trabzonspor with Pawel Brozek, Piotr Brozek and Arkadiusz Glowacki.
• 9:30 AM EST- Robert Lewandowski, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Lukasz Piszczek with Borussia Dortmund take on VfB Stuttgart.  
• 10:00 AM EST- Lukasz Fabianski and Wojciech Szczesny with Arsenal take on Wigan Athletic.
• 10:00 AM EST- Tomasz Kuszczak with Manchester United take on Birmingham.
• 10:00 AM EST- Lukasz Zaluska with Celtic take on Aberdeen.
• 12:00 PM EST- Blazej Augustyn with Catania take on Parma.
•  12:30 PM EST- Adam Matuszczyk and Slawomir Peszko with FC Koln take on Werder Bremen.  

Sunday

• 8:30 AM EST- Przemyslaw Tyton with Roda take on Excelsior.
• 9:00 AM EST- Kamil Glik with Bari take on Napoli.
• 9:00 AM EST- Artur Boruc with Fiorentina take on Lecce.
• 9:00 AM EST- Marcin Robak and Mariusz Pawelek take on Bursaspor.
• 12:00 PM EST- Kamil Grosicki with Sivasspor take on Galatasaray.
• 12:00 PM EST- Marcin Wasilewski with Anderlecht take on Standard Liege.

Which matches are you planning on watching this weekend?

Cracovia players accused of match fixing

Anti-corruption officers in Wroclaw have arrested two former Cracovia Krakow players amidst allegations of corruption, as part of the long running investigation into widespread sleaze in Polish football.

It has been alleged that the players were paid bribes to ensure a “suitable result” in a key match against Zaglebie Lubin which was led by Frank Smuda in May 2006. As a result of the match, Lublin was able to qualify for the UEFA Cup in the 2006/2007 season.

Polish Radio reports that up to 100,000 zl (25,000 euros) in bribes have been cited in connection with the affair, and the scandal is alleged to involve a former Poland international.

Amongst those in the first wave of arrests were Pawel D. and Marcin B. (names withheld under Polish law).

Reports suggest that the scandal surfaced owing to information supplied directly to the public prosecutor by Zaglebie players. The Wroclaw prosecutor has decided to hold Pawel D. under preliminary arrest for two months.

Over 200 players, coaches and officials have been arrested so far in an investigation into corruption in Polish soccer, which has been running since 2005.

Wasilewski to sign a contract extension with Anderlecht

In the upcoming days, Marcin Wasilewski will sign a two-year contract extension with Anderlecht.

-"Marcin deserves to stay with us. He will sign a two-year contract extension," said club director Herman Van Holsbeeck.

After a terrible injury, most people though Wasilewski will not be offered a new contract from the Purple and White. Anderlecht coaches and officials though Wasyl will never return to his old form. Since coming back from injury, Wasilewski convinced his coaches by scoring two goals in six appearances.

PZPN Scouts Player Through Social Network Site

AS Monaco's 18-year old defender Layvin Kurzawa is eligible to play for the Polish national team through his mother who was born in Poland. The player admitted that he received an offer from PZPN (Polish Football Association) through social network site Facebook.

-"I don't know the person who send me the information. I received a question if I was interested in playing for the Polish national team. I was surprised by the method they used and I replied that I was not interested. I want to focus on the French national team," said Kurzawa.

This season, Kurzawa made three first-team appearances for French side AS Monaco. He is also a member of the French U-19 national team.

Kokoszka Returns To Poland!

Polonia Warszawa signed Adam Kokoszka on loan for the rest of the season from Italian side Empoli.

Kokoszka decided to leave the Italian club after a hard time finding some playing minutes lately. Since joining the club in 2008, Kokoszka made only 43 appearances.

Kokoszka joins a very heavy Polonia Warszawa defense. The 24-year old will need to fight Dariusz Pietrasiak, Tomasz Jodlowiec, Tomasz Brzyski and Maciej Sadlok for the starting job.

Poles Aboard: Wednesday

English FA Cup

• Wojciech Szczesny played 90 minutes and made one save in Arsenal's 3-1 win over Leeds United.

French Ligue 1

• Ludovic Obraniak came off the bench in the 66th minute in Lille's 3-0 win over AS Nancy.

French League Cup

• Dariusz Dudka started and played 66 minutes in Auxerre's 2-0 loss to Marseille.

• Ireneusz Jelen came off the bench in the 60th minute in Auxerre's 2-0 loss to Marseille.

Greek Cup

• Miroslaw Sznaucner played 90 minutes in PAOK Saloniki's 1-1 draw with Olympiakos.  

• Roger Guerreiro started, played 67 minutes and received a yellow card in AEK Athens' 2-0 win over Panathinaikos. 

Smuda To Call Up 30 Players!

On Monday (January 24th), Poland national team coach Frank Smuda will call up around 30 Polish players for friendly matches against Moldova and Norway.

Why will Smuda call up around 30 Polish players for friendly matches against Moldova and Norway?

The match with Moldova (Febuary 6th), does not fall in the official FIFA date, so Smuda will only be able to use Ekstraklasa-based players. The next day, the Ekstraklasa-based players will leave the Polish training camp and will be replaced by Polish players that play aboard.

Frank Smuda's assistant Hubert Malowiejski told PAP (Polish Press Agency) that most of the team for the Moldova friendly will be made up of players that played in the December friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

-"After the Moldova friendly, most of the players will return to their Polish clubs. Maybe five or six players will remain with us and be part of the Norway friendly match," underlined Malowiejski.

Wondolowski: I Chose USA

Chris Wondolowski's success in 2010 also led to some reports from Poland that suggested that the Polish national team was recruiting him to take part in their team as they prepare for Euro 2012. Wondolowski was eligible for Poland through his family ancestry.

Taking to yanks-abroad.com, Wondolowski did not dismiss this report but he did say that once Bradley called him into camp, the decision was easy.

"I grew up in the US my whole life. I'm a fan of the US. It was a pretty easy choice once I got the opportunity. It's always been my dream and goal to play here," Wondolowski said of the decision to play for the US.

Chris Wondolowski was called up the United States National team for friendly match against Chile.

Iwanski To Join Manisaspor!

Legia Warszawa and Manisaspor came to an agreement over a transfer fee for midfielder Maciej Iwanski. The 29-year old midfielder will join the Turkish club depending on a medical.

Iwanski has already left Legia's training camp in Cyrus.

-"Legia came to an agreement with the Turkish club. Today, Maciej flew to Turkey to undergo medical tests and will sign a contract with Manisaspor," said Legia's sporting director Marek Jozwiak.

Manisaspor sit 12th in the Turkish Super Lig with 22 points.

Iwanski is the sixth Polish player to leave the Ekstraklasa for Super Lig this winter transfer window.

Pawel Brozek, Piotr Brozek (Trabzonspor), Kamil Grosicki (Sivasspor), Mariusz Pawelek, Marcin Robak (Konyaspor), Maciej Iwanski (Manisaspor)