Euro Cup 2012 – Know the participating Team,Team profile: Poland

 There is less than 12 hours to begin the world’s one of the most exciting tournament euro Cup 2012 where all 16 qualified European giants will fight for the cup.

www.anantasports.com is bringing the profiles of all the participating team to its readers and here it is Poland.

   As one of the two host nations, Poland automatically qualified for Euro 2012.Poland is taking part in the tournaments under the guidance of coach

Franciszek Smuda. Franciszek Smuda's side have only lost two of their last 10 games, to reputable opponents Italy and France, both of whom fielded strong sides. Preparation for Euro 2012 has been a mixed bag for Poland, who have played in several stadia across the country ahead of the tournament next summer. Though the host are ranked lowest among all the participating Nations they are looking to promote at least in the knoch out stage of the tournament.

Polish Football Team

Despite competing in six World Cups, Poland have only once before qualified for the European Championships.

This year's co-hosts failed to go beyond the group stages at Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland, despite topping their group in qualifying.

The Poles failed to win any of their three Group B games, suffering defeats to Germany and Croatia, and drawing with Austria, meaning they finished bottom on goal difference with one of the worst records in the tournament.

As one of the hosts of Euro 2012, Poland will perhaps fancy their chances of qualifying for the knockout stages, a feat which both Austria and Switzerland failed to achieve four years ago.

Coach Franciszek Smuda

 Former defender who spent the majority of his career playing in Poland and the USA, Smuda replaced Leo Beenhakker in October 2009 after the Dutchman failed to guide the team into the 2010 World Cup.

Smuda has a wealth of managerial experience, having coached in Germany and Turkey before returning to his homeland with Widzew Lodz.

The 63-year-old won the Polish Cup with Lech Poznan and joined Zaglebie Lubin in August 2009, only to become national team coach just weeks later.

Poland Football team coach Franciszek Smuda

Captain Jakub Blasczykowski

Part of the Bundesliga-winning Borussia Dortmund side for the past two seasons, Blaszczykowski has made well over 100 appearances for the club since joining them in 2007.

Having earned 50 caps for his country, Blaszczykowski was given the captain's armband in November 2010 by Smuda and was named the Polish Footballer of the Year the same year, having previously been handed the same honour in 2008. However he didn’t play previous edition of Euro due to hamstring Injury.

Poland Coach Jakub Blasckowski in yellow Jersy

Player to watch: Robert  Lewandowski

At 23, the striker is one of the youngest players in Poland's Euro 2012 squad, but already has 40 caps and 13 goals for his country and is likely to become one of Poland's all-time top scorers in the near future.

If Lewandowski can carry his good form into the European Championship, the co-hosts will have some real firepower at their disposal in the tournament.

Poland Player Robert Lewandowski

How the Qualify:

Poland are qualified for the tournaments as the co host of the tournaments but here are the Latest match results played by the Poland.

Mar 25, 2011: Lithuania 2-0 Poland

Mar 29, 2011: Greece 0-0 Poland
Jun 5, 2011: Poland 2-1 Argentina
Jun 9, 2011: Poland 0-1 France
Aug 10, 2011: Poland 1-0 Georgia
Sep 2, 2011: Poland 1-1 Mexico
Sep 6, 2011: Poland 2-2 Germany
Oct 7, 2011: South Korea 2-2 Poland
Oct 11, 2011: Belarus 0-2 Poland
Nov 11, 2011: Poland 0-2 Italy
Nov 15, 2011: Poland 2-1 Hungary
Dec 16, 2011: Poland 1-0 BiH
Feb 29, 2012: Poland 0-0 Portugal
May 22, 2012: Poland 1-0 Latvia
May 26, 2012: Poland 1-0 Slovakia


Jersy for Poland Team:
Brand: Nike
Home Jersey: White with red rectangle
Away Jersey: Red with white rectangle

Poland Home and away Jersy

Poland Suad for Euro 2012:

Goalkeepers: Wojciech Szczęsny (Arsenal), Przemysław Tyton (PSV Eindhoven), Grzegorz Sandomierski (Genk).

Defenders: Lukasz Piszczek (Borussia Dortmund), Sebastian Boenisch (Werder), Marcin Kaminski (Lech Poznan), Damien Perquis (Sochaux), Marcin Wasilewski (Anderlecht), Jakub Wawrzyniak (Legia), Grzegorz Wojtkowiak (Lech).

Midfielders: Jakub Błaszczykowski (Borussia Dortmund), Dariusz Dudka (Auxerre), Kamil Grosicki (Sivasspor), Adam Matuszczyk (Fortuna Dusseldorf), Adrian Mierzejewski (Trabzonspor), Rafal Murawski (Lech Poznan), Eugen Polanski (Mainz), Ludovic Obraniak (Bordeaux), Maciej Rybus (Terek), Rafal Wolski (Legia).

Forwards: Paweł Brozek (Glasgow Celtic), Robert Lewandowski (Borussia Dortmund), Artur Sobiech (Hannover).