This is the extent of their love for the "beautiful game" for these Polish deadbeats
Being behind the Iron Curtain infinitely beats the sort of crap that regularly infects the Polish and Ukrainian leagues. The void left by Communism and increasing exposure to multi-culturalism has been filled over the years with even more racism and anti-semitism. The Dutch team are their latest target even before the tournament gets underway.
UEFA is waffling of course. If any fan or player is racially abused or set upon by these neo-nazi goons, then the country should pay the price. No more hosting of such competitions. If you can't be hospitable to your guests then we can take our business elsewhere.
Greg, thanks for that, No not all Poles are like that. I work with a number of them in the USA and they have not one racist bone in their body. But there is some institutionalized bigotry back in their country which one gets to see undiluted in the football leagues. Is it malice or ignorance? Only time will tell, the latter as you suggest, is easier to fix over time and with sensitization.
I was born in Poland and have spent 20 years in Australia and I am very ashamed that my fellow Poles are behaving this way. I was looking forward to seeing my birth country admired by the world instead of condemned. The only thing I can do is apologise for my fellow countrymen. I hope that this bigotry is the result of ignorance rather than malice - ignorance is easier to fix. The only explanation I can attribute to Poles behaving like this is the relative isolation from the greater world.
Another closet shame of Poland is anti-semitism... but that is another story.
In any case - please don't conclude all Poles are like this.
Mo, that is true. The clip where the Polish football head denied those fascist fans were performing the Nazi salute and instead were using their hands to point to the opposite fans was quite insulting.
As insidious as the open bigotry is the pernicious denial of it from the organizers (how insulting.) Pure disgrace—making sure things will remain as before when this is long over.