Football

Contribution to European football

Poland and Ukraine have seen many successes on the European football fields. The Polish team was a tough contender in World Cup Final Tournaments where it participated 6 times and reached the semi-finals and bronze in 1974 and 1982. Polish football team participated seven times in Olympic Tournaments.

Poland showed unique commitment to promotion of football. This helped the strength of Polish youth team grow. The team took numerous podium places in European and World Youth Championships The absolute highlight was the first place in the 2001 European U-18 Championships. Poland will be hosting 2006 European U-19 Championships.

In Ukraine, Dynamo Kiev was the main supplier of the successful teams of the USSR that reached the UEFA EURO finals in 1960 (winner), 1964, 1972 and 1988 and the semi-finals in 1968. In 1976, the Dynamo Kiev squad won the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup with 1975 European Footballer of the Year and current National Team coach Oleg Blokhin. In 2004, Andrey Shevchenko was the third Ukrainian to become European Footballer of the Year, an honor that was bestowed on Igor Belanov in 1986.

Poland and Ukraine qualified for FIFA World Championships to be held in Germany in 2006.

Both countries wish to take advantage of their successes on the European football fields and organize jointly the best and biggest Final Tournament of UEFA European Football Championship ever.

Source: Poland-Ukraine bid to host UEFA EURO 2012 (Phase I).

The strategies for developing football in both countries

Hosting of UEFA EURO 2012 is consistent with the long-term strategy for development of football in Poland and Ukraine.

Polish Football Association (PZPN)

Two medals in World Cup finals (1974, 1982), six participations in tournaments of this world’s greatest football event (1938, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 2002), three medals in Olympic Games (1972, 1976, 1992), two wins in European Junior Championships (1993 – U-16, 2001 – U-18) – are the greatest success in 85 years of the history of the Polish Football Association.

The Polish Football Association was founded on 21 December 1919 in Krakow during an assembly of 31 representatives of clubs and districts (20-21.12.1919). The founding members were Cracovia, Czarni Lwów, Pogoń Lwów oraz RKS Kraków.

Warsaw has been the seat of the Association since 1928. In 1923 the Polish Football Association joined FIFA (since 1954 it has been a member of UEFA). The first president of the Polish Football Association was Edward Cetnarowski (1919-1927), the president of Cracovia.

In the first official international match held on 18 December 1921 in Budapest Poland was defeated by Hungary 0:1.

The first Polish Champion was Cracovia in 1921, before the league was established (1927 rok).

In the years 1921-2005 the largest number of national championships were won by Ruch Chorzów and Górnik Zabrze - 14 each (Ruch 1933-36, 38, 1951-53, 60, 68, 74-75, 79, 80; Górnik 1957, 59, 61, 63-67, 71-72, 85-88). Wisła Kraków won 10 times (recently 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005). Legia was the National Champion 7 times (the last time in 2002), Cracovia and Lech Poznań were champions 5 times, Widzew Łódź and Pogoń Lwów – 4 times.

Source: http://www.pzpn.pl

Football Federation of Ukraine (FFU)

The Football Federation of Ukraine was founded on 13th December 1991 in Kiev. At that time it consisted of two football groups with 10 teams in each group. In 1992 the first Ukrainian championship took place, where golden medals were won by the FC “Tavria” (Simferopol). The same year the Football Federation of Ukraine joined UEFA and FIFA. Victor Bannikov, the honored master of sports of the USSR and the honored coach of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic became the president of the Football Federation of Ukraine. Since 2000 the president of the FFU has been Grygoriy Surkis – a national deputy of Ukraine and the president of the FC “Dynamo” (Kyiv).

Most of the time the champions’ titles of independent Ukraine were won by the Football club “Dynamo” (Kyiv) (1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, and 2004). “Shakhtar” (Donetsk) became the champion of Ukraine in 2002 and 2005.
In 1992-2006 most of the Cups of Ukraine were also won by “Dynamo” (Kyiv) (1993, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2003, and 2005). “Shakhtar” (Donetsk) became the winner of the Cup of Cups five times (in 1995, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2004), and “Chornomorets” (Odessa) – two times (in 1992 and 1994).

On 29th April 1992 the first match of the National Team of Ukraine took place, with Ukraine playing against Hungary, where Ukraine lost 1:3.
Since its foundation the National Team of Ukraine took the second place in the selection group and got the right to participate in additional qualification matches of the World Championship in 1998, European Championship 2000, and World Championship 2002.  The National team U-20 / U-21 got to 1/8 final in the World Championship in Argentine (2001) and in the Netherlands (2005). The National team U-18 / U-19 became the winner of the European vice-champion’s title in Germany (2000) and the National team U-16 / U-17 scored third in the European Championship in Ireland (1994). The National team of the USSR, based on the FC “Dynamo” (Kyiv), became the European vice-champion in Germany (1994), got to the 1/8 final in Mexico (1986), and received the third prize in the Olympic Games in Montréal, Canada (1976).

http://www.ffu.org.ua