Artur Sobiech and Hannover 96 Official

Artur Sobiech, who last year scored 9 goals in the Ekstraklasa was not only a great player but one of the only stars for Polonia Warszawa. After contract breakdowns with Polonia directer Jozef "Coconut Club" Wojchiechowski, Sobiech had enough and did not want to lower his wages instead he wanted out.

Just one year ago, he was bought for 1 million euros and did well on the pitch. His work didnt go unnoticed as several Bundesliga teams were interested. Officially, after passing a medical Sobiech has signed a three year deal. Reports say for an estimated 1.1 million euro.

The Bundesliga is slowly accepting more Polish players, the first major buy was Robert Lewandowski, then Peszko and Klich, now Sobiech. If all continues to go well we will have more talent in Germany than ever before.

Familiar faces changing places

Emmanuel Olisadebe, Junior Diaz, Ebi Smolarek and Artur Sobiech are looking for a new place to call home. The biggest surprise is Oli - as he has left China and is now training with Lechia Gdansk. Oli scored 20 goals in 60 app for Polonia and then went on to score 11 goals for our NT in just 25 appearances, and if we can rewind back to Japan 2002, everyone should remember the 8 goals he scored in our qualifications to give us a World Cup Chance.

In other news, the Belgium newspapers are reporting that Junior Diaz is on his way back to Wisla Krakow to fulfill the left back role. Diaz, a very versitile player was able to play all over the field, but his primary role is in defense.

Finally, Ebi and Artur both have not agreed to sign a new contract and our left out of the 1st team. Both have also been relegated to the Mloda Ekstraklasa -Sobiech already has some Bundesliga interest as Hannover 96 are putting in an offer, while Ebi has still to make any noise on his new transfer.

Lech sells Tshibamba to Larissa

Lech Poznan has sold Congolese striker Joel Tshibamba to Greek side Larissa.

The 22-year old has been on loan with the Greek club since December. In 12 league appearances, Tshibamba scored three times for Larissa, who were relegated to the second division this season.

During his time at Lech, Tshibamba scored once in 20 appearances,. His only goal in a Lech uniform came against Manchester City in the Europa League.

Klich scores in Wolfsburg friendly

Mateusz Klich scored his first ever goal in a Wolfsburg uniform on Monyday during a 10-1 rout over Eckernforder SV.

Klich started but only played in the first half. His 16th minute goal gave Wolfsburg a 3-0 lead.

On June 14th, Klich signed with VfL Wolfsburg on a 3-years deal. Wolfsburg paid 1,5 million euros for Klich, making him the most valuable player in Cracovia's club history.

Piszczek Sentenced for Match-Fixing

Poland national team defender Lukasz Piszczek has been accused of involvement in match-fixing between Cracovia Krakow and Zaglebie Lublin, voluntarily accepted the penalty of one year in prison, suspended for 3 years.

He also has to pay a 100,000 zloty fine and pay back 48,000 zloty bonus that he received for qualifying for the UEFA Cup. The sentence was imposed by the District Court in Wroclaw.

Wroclaw court also sentenced 10 others accused of match fixing. Players of Zaglebie Lublin paid Cracovia players 100,000 zloty of bribes for the draw. Thanks to it, Zaglebie Lublin advanced to the UEFA Cup.

Jovanović and Gervasio are already training with Wisla Krakow

Marko Jovanovic (Partizan) and Gervasio Daniel Nunez (Quilmes) have officially joined Wisla for training in preparation for their CL campaign. Jovanovic is reported to sign a 5 year contract, but no word on Nunez yet.

According to coach Maaskant, Jovan will most likely play CD, while Gervasio, who is a defensive player - will be moved to a defensive midfield role. In addition to being gifted defensively, he pushes forward well in attack. 

The past three weeks have been very exciting for Wisla Krakow fans, as many new faces have already joined, while several others are awaiting their turns with the Biala Gwiazda.

What does this mean? Jovanovic and Chavez will most likely start in the middle, while new signing Michael Lamey will be placed as a wingback and Nunez as a helping midfield role, in the coming week more information will be revelead.

What do you think about the new players coming in to Krakow?

Szalachowski on trial with RC Lens

Free-agent midfielder Sebastian Szalachowski has joined French side RC Lens on trials.

Szalachowski trained with the first-team on Friday in hopes of being offered a contract with the French side. The 27-year old midfielder was let go by Legia Warszawa when his contract expired this June. 

Szalachowski has been a member of Legia Warszawa the past six years. He was on a week-long trial with Lens last winter but was not offered a contract.

Cetnarski moves to Slask Wroclaw

Former Poland national team midfielder Mateusz Cetnarski has officially signed a contract with Slask Wroclaw.

The 22-year old leaves GKS Belchatow for a chance to play in European competitions. Slask Wroclaw play Dundee United in the second qualifying round of the Europa League.
 
Cetnarski began his professional career with GKS Belchatow in 2007. In 83 league appearances over the last four years, Cetnarski scored 8 goals. He also represented the Polish national team twice.

Gargula, Matusiak looking to strengthen Lechia

Midfielder Lukasz Gargula and striker Radoslaw Matusiak are being targeted by Lechia Gdansk.

Both players are willing to make a move this summer. Lukasz Gargula is under contract with Wisla Krakow for two more years but is willing to move after spending most of the time on the bench for Wisla.

Matusiak is ready to make a return to the Ekstraklasa after joining Asteras Tripoli this winter but made only four league appearance and did not score a goal.

Both players were teammates at GKS Belchatow during the 2005/2006 season where GKS finished 10th in the league.

Video: Mierzejewski arrives at Trabzonspor

Mierzejewski introduced by Trabzonspor

Poland national team midfielder Adrian Mierzejewski was officially introduced by Trabzonspor on Thursday in a press conference where a huge crowd of fans greeted him.

Mierzejewski showed off the No. 86 jersey he will be wearing for the Turkish club. He also signed a five-year contract.

Mierzejewski was sold by Polonia Warszawa to Trabzonspor for a Polish Ekstraklasa record of 5,3 million euros. Mierzejewski is now the fourth Pole in Trabzonspor. He will join Arkadiusz Glowacki, Pawel Brozek, and Piotr Brozek.

Zaluska closing in on a new contract deal

Lukasz Zaluska is on the verge of signing a new contract with Scottish side Celtic.

The 27-year old keeper admitted that he was aware of interest from former club Legia Warszawa but will continue fighting for the starting job between the pipes for Celtic.

"My agent is coming over to discuss a new contract," Zaluska said. "I still have a year left but it is obviously nice to know that the club want to keep me."

Zaluska spent most of last season as back-up to Newcastle United loanee Fraser Forster and has made just 14 league appearances since joining from Dundee United in 2009.

Ekstraklasa Transfer Update

Chinyama leaves Legia
Takesure Chinyama has left Legia Warszawa after his contract expired and the club decided not to renew it. 

"We decided not to extend Takesure Chinyama’s contract. We would like to thank him for playing in our club and wish him luck in his further career," said Marek Jozwiak, director of Legia.

Chinyama joined Legia before the 2007/08 season began. He made 74 league appearances, scoring 36 goals.   Chinyama was also the 2008/09 Ekstraklasa top scorer.

Rengifo will not return 
Former Lech Poznan striker Hernan Rengifo has signed a contract extension with Cypriot club Omonia Nicosia and will not return to the Ekstraklasa as rumored.
 
Rengifo was rumored to possibly return to the Ekstraklasa as Lech Poznan, Legia Warszawa and Jagiellonia Bialystok showed interests.

France midfielder close to Gornik
Alexandre Mendy is close to signing a contract with Gornik Zabrze.

The 27-year old will join Gornik on a free transfer after he undergoes his medical tests. Mendy played for FK Mlada Boleslav from 2008 until 2011. He spend his whole career with Czech clubs.

Wisla Krakow close to signing Marko Jovanovic

Serbian defender Marko Jovanovic has arrived in Krakow to undergo medical tests with Wisla Krakow. If he passes his tests, the 23-year old defender will sign a five- year contract with the Ekstraklasa champions.

Wisla Krakow will pay one million euros for the Partizan defender, who was a regular for the Sebian U-21 national team and was included in Serbia's squad for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games playing in all three group matches.

Wisla Krakow also brought in Argentinian winger Gervasio Nunez on tests. The 23-year old plays for Argentine Primera Division side Quilmes.

Rasiak negotiating with Lechia Gdansk?

Free-agent striker Grzegorz Rasiak has landed in Gdansk and started negotiating over contract deal with Lechia Gdansk.

Rasiak is currently a free-agent after his contract was terminated by Cypriot club AEL Limassol in April. Rasiak has been playing seven years abroad and looks to make a comeback to the Ekstraklasa.

Another team showing interests in Rasiak is Polonia Warszawa, however, on Tuesday morning, Rasiak flied lane at the Lech Walesa Airport in Gdansk and he met with Lechia officials.   

Waldoch named Schalke U-17 coach

Former Poland national team captain Tomasz Waldoch has been named the new head coach of Schalke U-17.

On November 11, 2009, the 40-year old was named as a temporary assistant coach of Polish national team, under Frank Smuda. He was later replaced by his former teammate Jacek Zielinski.

Waldoch has played for Gornik Zabrze, VfL Bochum, Schalke and Jagiellonia Bialystok during his playing days and earned 74 caps for the Polish national team. He also was a participant at the 1992 Summer Olympics, where Poland won the silver medal, and was the captain of the Polish team for the 2002 World Cup..

Swansea City determined to buy Sandomierski

Swansea City have made an offer for Polish national team goalkeeper Grzegorz Sandomierski, according to a spokesman at Jagiellonia Bialystok

Sandomierski has attracted interest from across Europe after producing some impressive appearances for Jagiellonia Bialystok and the Polish national team.

According to the spokesman of  Jagiellonia Bialystok, Swansea City are very determined to buy Sandomierski and offered 3 million pounds.  

2011/2012 Ekstraklasa Schedule unveiled

Ekstraklasa unveiled its full 2011/2012 schedule on Tuesday, with the season kicking off on July 29th.

Week 1 (July 29-August 1)
Widzew Lodz - Wisla Krakow
Ruch Chorzow - GKS Belchatow
Legia Warszawa - Zaglebie Lubin
Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biala - Jagiellonia Bialystok
LKS Lodz - Lech Poznan
Lechia Gdansk - Polonia Warszawa
Slask Wrocław - Gornik Zabrze
Cracovia Krakow - Korona Kielce

Ekstraklasa also announced that one match per week with be played on Mondays.

Click Here for the rest of the schedule.

Poland to play Georgia in Lubin, Germany in Gdansk

The Polish national team will play Georgia on the new Dialog Arena in Lubin and Germany on the new PGE Arena in Gdansk.

Poland was suppose to play Germany at the new National Stadium in Warszawa but construction delays forced the match to be moved to the new PGE Arena in Gdansk.

Construction delays have been a major problem for Poland. The June friendly with France was moved to the Legia Warszawa stadium after construction delays hit the PGE Arena in Gdansk. .

The construction on the PGE Arena in Gdansk is expected to be finish in July and the construction on the National Stadium in Warszawa is expected to be finish by November.

Poland plays Georgia on August 10 and Germany on September 6th.

Kokoszka signs new deal with Polonia

Polonia Warszawa have signed defender Adam Kokoszka to a three-year contract, purchasing his rights from Italian side Empoli for 200,000 euros.

Kokoszka joined Polonia on a half-year loan on January 19th. He established himself as a starter for Polonia, playing in 11 games in the second part of the season. His name is also begin mentioned in the surrounding of a return to the Polish national team after an impressive stint with Polonia.

Kokoszka left Wisla Krakow in 2008. His last national team appearance was in 2009 against Romania.

Bosacki to leave Lech Poznan

Lech Poznan will not offer a contract extension to Bartosz Bosacki, therefore, Bosacki will leave the team after his contract expires on June 30th.

The desicion was made by Jacek Rutkowski, owner of Lech Poznan, who made the desicion during his holidays.

"He (referring to Rutkowski) has the rights to make those decisions. I'm pretty upset with the way he handled the desicion. If he had informed me earlier, then I would have normally said goodbye to the team," said Bosacki.

Bosacki spend eleven years with Lech Poznan. He made 257 appearances for Lech, scoring 8 goals.

UEFA Europa League Draw is set: Slask face Dundee United, Jagiellonia to play FC Irtysh

The UEFA Europa League draw was held on Monday morning to determine the first qualifying round pairings as well as the second qualifying round pairings.

Jagiellonia Bialystok will face Kazakh side FC Irtysh Pavlodar in the first qualifying round. The first leg will take place on June 30th, with the second leg being played on July 7th.  

The winner of Jagiellonia/Irtysh Pavlodar will play the winner of Banants/Olimpi Rustavi in the second qualifying round.  

Slask Wroclaw will take on Scottish side Dundee United in the second qualifying round. The first leg will be played on July 14th, with the second leg being played on July 21st.

What do you think of the draw?

Wisla Krakow to face Skonto FC as Champions League qualifications are set

Polish league champions Wisla Krakow will play Latvian league champions Skonto FC in the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round.

The first leg will be played on July 11-12 while the second leg will be played on July 19-20.

Wisla Krakow's last Champions League appearance in 2009/10 ended in a disaster. Wisla were eliminated in the second qualifying round by Estonian side Levadia Tallinn. 

As for Skonto FC, they took part in the last two Champions League with both ending early. Last season, they were eliminated by Portadown F.C. in the first qualifying round while two years ago, they were eliminated in the second qualifying round by Derry City F.C.

What do you guys think about Wisla Krakow's rival? Easy or interesting?

Remainder: Polish clubs await UEFA draw

Wisla Krakow will discover who they will face in the Chmapions League second qualifying round when the draw is made at UEFA's Switzerland Headquarters on Monday. The drawing begins at 6:00 am est.

Slask Wroclaw and Jagiellonia Bialustok will also meet their rival for the Europa League qualifications.  Jagiellonia plays in the first qualifying round while Slask plays in the second qualifying round. 

Make sure to check out PolandSoccerBlog for all the drawing coverage starting at 6:00 am est.

Poland U-16's finish 5th in Ukranie tournament

The Polish U-16 national team finished in 5th place in the annual Viktor Bannikov Tournament after defeating Czech Republic 2-1 on Sunday.

Poland started the tournament in Group B with Italy, Turkey and Russia. In the first match of the group stage, Poland and Italy ended in a scoreless draw. Poland defeated Russia 2-1 in the second match of the group stage but lost 2-1 to Turkey in the final match of the group stage.

Poland finished 3rd in Group B and played Czech Republic for 5th place on Sunday. With the win, Poland took home their best finish in the tournament since finishing 4th in 2009.

How Polish Stadiums Changed (Part 2)

Lechia Gdansk

 

Slask Wroclaw

Legia Warszawa

Click here for Part 1 of how Polish stadiums changed

Modelski on trial with Korona Kielce

Poland U-19 defender Filip Modelski has joined Korona Kielce on trials.

The everyday West Ham defender made 8 appearances for the West Ham U-18's and and 6 appearances for the West Ham reserves this season.

Modelski left Arka Gdynia for England at the age of 16.

Lech Poznan stadium closed until September

The Lech Poznan stadium has been closed until September, meaning Lech Poznan will not be able to play the first five games, of course depending on the schedule at home grounds.

The stadium is owned by the city of Poznan and they made a desicion to close the stadium until September 4th because of the Red Bull X-Fighters coming to take over the stadium starting on August 6th.

The Red Bull X-Fighters were suppose to organize their event at the National Stadium in Warszawa but due to the delays in construction, the event was moved to Poznan.

The Ekstraklasa has yet to release the schedule for the upcoming season but Ekstraklasa usually kicks off the first week of August.

Reports speculate that Lech Poznan will play the first couple home matches at the Amica Wronki stadium.

Summer Transfer Rumours and Moves - Edition Number 2

By Krzysziek Moskal

Two weeks have gone by since the first edition, and there have not only been some monumental moves, but one that blew up the Polish transfer record! Some players that were not meant to move were sold, while others finally signed their new contracts.

First, the signings - the big three. 

1. Adrian Mierzejewski (Polonia Warszawa - Trabzonspor) Record breaking 5.3 million euros!!! What does this mean? A couple of things - Adrian will get to play CL football and also join 3 other fellow Poles. Secondly, he will be able to gain further experience and develop his game.

2. Slawomir Peszko (FC Koln) - Finally, they have reached an agreement. Peszko was offered several contracts, but finally accepted the Koln offer after many grueling weeks of negotiations. He has won his place, why leave and try elsewhere. Peszko played several games and made an immediate impact by assisting on 5 huge relegation saving goals.

3. Matuesz Klich (Cracovia Krakow - Wolfsburg) A three year deal has been signed, while his former club gains a much needed financial  boost of 1.5 million euro. Klich played his heart out last season and we are glad a Bundesliga giant noticed! The two footed attacking midfielder, will most definitely develop his skills at the next level.

Not too much has changed with the remaining ten, other than some real interest from several high profile clubs. Ive updated my list, please comment or correct anything that is new thank you!

Top 10 Available Polish Players this summer

1. Artur Boruc (Fiorentina) - GK - Tottenham  and Liverpool are following Artur closely - many sources say he will end up in either the EPL or the SPL.

2. Ludovic Obraniak (Lille) - MF - News about Obraniak has slowed down, there were even reports he might stay with Lille.

3. Ireneusz Jelen (Auxurre) - ST - Jelen is being looked at by several SPL and Bundesliga teams at the moment, but no real offers have been made as of yet.

4. Ariel Borysiuk (Legia) - MF - Udinese are very interested in him and there is talk that he will be offered a big deal for up to 5 years. We will have to see.

5. Dariusz Dudka (Auxurre) - DM/LB - Some reports say he will stay, while others say he will go to the Bundesliga.

6. Tomasz Kuszczak (Machester United) - GK - Latest reports suggest, Kusz will stay in the EPL but not with the Red Devils.

7. Marcin Wasilewski (RSC Anderlecht ) - RB - Big time player, big time leg break, has recovered and in my opinion good enough for Wisla Krakow who are interested in his services.  

8. Lukasz Zaluska (Celtic FC) - GK - Several teams interested including favorite Legia Warszawa.

9. Jerzy Dudek (Real Madrid) - GK - Latest rumors suggest he will stay in Spain, as he and his family are loving their time there. Supposedly, his son has a girlfriend and big Dudek doesn't want to interfere by moving the family hahah Dudek was heaily linked on going back to Poland and playing.

10. Grzegorz Sandomierski (Jagellonia) - GK - Very very big prospect, with some rumors saying he will break the latest transfer record, reports suggest he will go for up to 6 million euros. Chelsea and others are very keen on Grzegorz. It is unlikely, Jaga will sell him that is why he sits at 10th but you never know!

These are just some of the latest facts and rumors, some are changing from day to day, but one thing is for sure these players will find a new home very soon!

Have you heard anything new? If so please post a comment! Thanks!

Arka youngster joins Reggina

Italian club Reggina signed 17-year old Arka Gdynia midfielder Adrian Liberacki.

Born in 1994, Liberacki was previously on tests with Fulham and Bolton. Liberacki spend last season with Arka Gdynia, playing in the Mloda Ekstraklasa.

Liberacki is also a member of the Polish U-17 national team.  

Janas named GKS Belchatow head coach

Former Poland national team head coach Pawel Janas has been named the new head coach of GKS Belchatow.

Janas returns to Belchatow for a second stint after leading them to a 5th place standing at the half-way point of the 2008–09 season but resigned during the winter break, citing lack of squad depth which would not allow the team to challenge for a higher position.

Janas was later hired at Widzew Lodz leading them to promotion in 2010 but left the club in 2010. In September, Janas was hired as the head coach of Polonia Warszawa but was fired after three months on the job.

Janas signed a 12-month contract with GKS Belchatow.

16-year old keeper set to sign with Everton

16-year old goalkeeper Mateusz Taudul is set to sign with Everton after agreeing to personal terms with the English club.

Taudul, who turns 17 in November will officially become a member of Everton on July 1st. Taudul spend the last couple of months training with English side Blackburn Rovers.

Taudul plays for MSP Szamotuly, a very popular goalkeeping academy in Poland. He also represented Poland at the U-15 and U-16 levels.

Klich introduced at Wolfsburg

Mateusz Klich was introduced today as Wolfsburg's newest signing. Klich agreed to terms on a three-year contract with the German club.

"I am very happy, it's a dream coming true for me as a player. I have joined a top-class club in a top-class division and I will bid to repay the faith shown in me by the club with great performances in the Bundesliga", Klich said today at his press conference.

The transfer cost Wolfsbug 1.5 million euros. The money are very important to Klich's former employer Cracovia Krakow, as the club is struggling financially.

"When I heard that Wolfsbug wanted to sign me, I was immediately impressed. I'm thrilled about this opportunity," Klich added.
 
Wolfsbug finished a disappointing 15th place this season in the German Bundesliga. 

Arboleda's passport issue heads in the wrong direction

The Head of State in Poland is having a difficult time deciding weather to issue Lech Poznan defender Manuel Arboleda a Polish passport.

President of Poland Bronislaw Komorowski has send Arboleda's application to PZPN and Ministry of Sport Adam Giersz for a review. Komorowski isn't sure if issuing Arboleda a Polish passport is a good idea after several Polish players complained about Arboleda wanting to play for Poland. 

"I prefer to lose with this team, then win with a foreigner in this squad," Slawmonir Peszko said couple weeks ago.

"I think now is a good time to say this. None of the Polish players like him," said Adrian Mierzejewski.

However, Poland national team head coach Frank Smuda is 100 percent behind Arboleda. Couple weeks ago, Smuda announced that he will called up Arboleda right away when he receives a Polish passport.

The Chancellery of the President received Arboleda's application on May 30th but send it back to PZPN for a review. The Polish Presidnet will make a final desicion after reading PZPN's and Adam Giersz's opinions.

When Roger Guerreiro and Ludovic Obraniak applied for a Polish passport, the late Lech Kaczynski did not hesitate for a moment, and issued both players a Polish passport.

What do you guys think? Should Arboleda be issued a Polish passport?

The Welsh Barcelona want Sandomierski

Swansea are chasing Chelsea target Gregorz Sandomierski.

The stopper wants first-team football and the Premier League new boys can land the Polish national team keeper from under Blues' noses for £3million.

Chelsea are serious about signing him from Jagiellonia Bialystok but agent Barry O'Connor said: "Several clubs have expressed serious interest, one's made a firm bid."

So what do guys think? Can yet another Polish goalkeeper cut it in the Premier League?

Aleksandar Tonev signs with Lech

Bulgarian midfielder Aleksandar Tonev has signed a four-year contract with Lech Poznan on Thursday.

The fee of the transfer was not announced but reports speculate that Tonev went for 600,000 euors. Tonev is Lech's first addition of 2011 summer transfer window.

Tonev is a regular on the Bulgarian U-21 national team but has yet to debut for the senior team. The 21-year old also won the Bulgarian Best Young Player of the Season for 2011.

Krychowiak voted team MVP, will retrun to Bordeaux

Stade de Reims midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak was named the team's Most Valuable Player, as voted by France newspaper L'Union.

Krychowiak, who was on loan from Bordeaux, made 35 league appearances this season, scoring twice while assisting on one.

Krychowiak will return Bordeaux after spending the last two season with Ligue 2 side Bordeaux. He believes he's return to fight for a starting job at Bordeaux.

"I'm returning to Bordeaux to fight for a starting job in their squad. I would also like to meet their new head coach. Bordeaux came to watch me couple times this season, so I believe they followed by development at Reims," said Krychowiak.

Mierzejewski sold to Trabzonspor in record move

Poland national team midfielder Adrian Mierzejewski has been sold to Trabzonspor for a record fee of 5.3 million euros.

Trabzonspor officials first offered 3 million euros for Mierzejewski, but later increased their offer to 4 million euros. However Polonia rejected both offers and finally, the Turkish side increased their bid to a staggering 5,3 million which breaks a new transfer record in the Ekstraklasa.

The record was previously held by Robert Lewandowski, who was sold to Borussia Dortmund from 4,5 million euros last summer.

Mierzejewski and his agent are still waiting on a official confirmation from the Polonia Warszawa side, but Mierzejewski's agent admitted it's a done deal.

Mierzejewski will strengthen the Turkish side's midfielder before they kick-off their UEFA Champions League campaign. Mierzejewski will become teammates with fellow countrymen Piotr and Pawel Brożek, as well as Arkadiusz Glowacki.

Would you like to see Zewlakow return to the Polish NT?

Michal Zewlakow was suppose to be Frank Smuda's leader and right hand at Euro 2012. However, Zewlakow's dream playing at Euro ended in a controversial issue.

Zewlakow, together with Artur Boruc were kicked off the Polish national team after drinking on the place while flying back to Poland from the September friendlies in North America.

Zewlakow, who recently signed a contract with Legia Warszawa, wants to be remembered as the player who represneted Poland 102 times and not the player who was kicked off the Polish national team for drinking on a plane. 

After Zewlakow announced that he is retiring from international play, Smuda called up the former captain and Zewlakow played his 102 and final appearance against Greece in March.

As Smuda is facing a crisis in the central part of the defense, Zewlakow could return to the Polish national team for Euro 2012. However, first Zelwkaow needs to regain top form at Legia Warszawa.

Polonia could play Boca Juniors at Legia Warszawa stadium

Polonia Warszawa could play Argentinian club Boca Juniors in a friendly on the new Legia Warszawa stadium which would celebrate Polonia's 100-year anniversary.

The match would take place on July 23rd on the new Legia Warszawa stadium.

Legia Warszawa can not do anything about this match as the new Legia Warszawa stadium is owned by the city of Warszawa and both Polonia and Legia fans pay taxes to the city.

Legia Warszawa fans are protesting that its their stadium and Polonia have no right to play on it.

Polonia Warszawa celebrate 100 years of existence as the club was found in 1911.

UEFA to host drawing on June 30th

The House of European Football in Nyon will host the draws for the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League first and second qualifying rounds next Monday, June 30th.

The pairings for the first two qualifying rounds of the UEFA Champions League and the first two qualifying rounds of the UEFA Europa League will be made during ceremonies to be staged at UEFA Headquarters in Nyon, starting at 6:00 am est.

Ekstraklasa champions Wisla Krakow will kick off their UEFA Champions League campaign in the second qualifying round.

Fourth-place finisher Jagiellonia Bialystok will start off in the first qualifying round while second-place finisher Slask Wrocław will kick off in the second qualifying round.

Polish Cup winner Legia Warszawa will not take part in this drawing as they start their Europe campaign in the third qualifying round. The drawing for the  third qualifying round takes place on July 15th.

The draw will be transmitted live on UEFA.com.

Ekstraklasa Transfer Update

Giza leaves Cracovia
One day after Matuesz Klich left Cracovia Krakow for Wolfsburg, Cracovia has decided to let go of another midfielder. This time, the club has decided not to offer a contract extension to Piotr Giza. The 31-year old joined Cracovia in December after spending three season with Legia Warszawa.

Chavez signs new contract with Wisla
Honduran defender Osman Chavez has signed a new 5-year contract with Wisla Krakow. Chavez, who is currently representing Honduras in the Gold Cup, joined Wisla Krakow last summer from Platense.  Chavez will  be a key defender in Wisla Krakow's quest for the Champions League.

Other transfers completed in the Ekstraklasa
Dawid Plizga joined Jagiellonia Bialystok from Zaglebie Lubin
Dariusz Pietrasiak joined Slask Wroclaw from Polonia Warszawa
Grzegorz Bartczak joined Jagiellonia Bialystok Zaglebie Lubin

Peszko decides to stay with Koln

Despite interests from England, Italy and other German clubs, Slawomir Peszko has decided to stay at FC Koln. Peszko's contract will automatically extended to June of 2013.

Peszko, who joined Koln from Lech Poznan in the winter transfer window, was unhappy with the first offer Koln summited to him after his original contract expired. 

"We have decided to stay in Koln. We were in contact with Koln officials for about two weeks now. Slawek was offered a decent sports contract and he chose the road that he wanted to go," said Andrzej Grajewski, Peszko's agent.

According to his agent, Peszko had a decent offer from German second division side Eintracht Frankfurt. Peszko also had couple offers from the Serie A and the Premier League.