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New Polish football coach: "It couldn't be worse"

Nov 4, 2009, 13:10 GMT

Warsaw - Poland's new football coach Franciszek Smuda said Wednesday things 'couldn't be worse' in the country's sport but that he was capable of picking up the national team after a disastrous qualifying campaign for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Smuda, who was promoted to the post last month, warned that Polish players can't be made to have complexes, or else they will face teams like England 'in pampers.' 'We're capable of making a strong team and a good atmosphere around the representation and (the Polish football association) PZPN,' Smuda told reporters in Warsaw. 'We will build the team reasonably, but nobody will wait for results until 2012.' A recent corruption scandal has marred the association's image as Poland prepares to host the prestigious Euro 2012 football championships with co-hosts Ukraine. Poland fired its previous trainer Leo Beenhakker in September after a 3-0 loss against Slovenia ended the country's hopes for qualifying for the World Cup finals. Smuda takes the reigns of the Polish team as scandals and corruption created a backlash from Polish football fans.

Europe News

New Polish football coach: "It couldn't be worse"

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