Tag Archives: smuda

Ian Ladyman"s Euro diary: Ice man Pires is just so cool

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Ian Ladyman's Euro diary: Ice man Pires is just so cool

PUBLISHED:

21:02 GMT, 19 June 2012

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UPDATED:

23:10 GMT, 19 June 2012

One of the strangest sights of the week was Robert Pires slipping in to what looked like a bulletproof vest outside his Kiev hotel on Tuesday. The garment was, in fact, a ‘Cryovest’, packed with ice and worn by the French players to keep them cool before matches.

Cool customer: Robert Pires (second left) was with the French camp

Cool customer: Robert Pires (second left) was with the French camp

Rooney Tunes

Wayne Rooney’s regular pre-match ritual involves listening to up and coming Liverpool band The Hummingbirds on his iPod after wife Coleen saw them play at the iconic Cavern Club. On Tuesday he was encouraging his 4.3million Twitter followers to check out their latest single, Doesn’t Really Matter.

On the mend: Dan Walker

On the mend: Dan Walker

Dan’s dodgy tum

We were alarmed to learn that popular BBC Football Focus presenter Dan Walker spent 12 hours in a Polish emergency ward on Monday after suffering stomach pains. Happily, Dan is back on his feet. ‘Not the best night of my trip,’ he told me.

Thumbs up for…

Charming
Lviv couple Dima and Lida Podolyan, who have spent the last 10 days
ferrying English journalists around their beautiful town in their taxi.
They even took guys from the Mirror and Guardian out for dinner.

Thumbs down for…

Laurent Blanc, after the French coach became the latest — following Ukraine’s Oleg Blokhin and Poland’s Franciszek Smuda — to berate a journalist for ‘never having played the game’. Always a low blow, that one.

Running wild

This is a novel approach to criticism. Dutch paper De Telegraaf has had a go at Robin van Persie for running too far during games. The paper described him as a ‘maniac’ and commented: ‘For a striker, he ran too many kilometres.’

The running man: Robin van Persie (right)

The running man: Robin van Persie (right)

Lowering the tone

Football reporters are supposed to be impartial but one tabloid writer out here has Martin Tyler’s Sky commentary for Sergio Aguero’s title-winning goal for Manchester City downloaded as his mobile phone ringtone. I must call him next time he’s interviewing Sir Alex Ferguson.

Play of the day

England's win was scrappy and there’s no way Wayne Rooney was going to miss that open goal but the absolute cracker from Sweden captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic was not only the best of the tournament so far, it also gave England a huge boost and ended France’s run of 23 games unbeaten. For he’s a volley good fellow!

World class Zlatan Ibrahimovic fires Sweden ahead

World class Zlatan Ibrahimovic fires Sweden ahead

Quote of the day

‘You are in business class. But you don’t have a seat on the plane.’

Another confusing statement from a Ukraine airlines official. I did have a seat… in economy.

Euro 2012: Franciszek Smuda quits as Poland boss after exit

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Pole-axed! Smuda quits after Czechs bounce out co-hosts

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UPDATED:

22:55 GMT, 16 June 2012

Franciszek Smuda stunned the Euro
2012 co-hosts when he quit as Poland boss after they crashed out the
European Championships on Saturday.

Poland draw with both Greece and
Russia, but fluffed their lines in a must-win game against the Czech
Republic, going down 1-0 to finish bottom of Group A.

Poles apart: Franciszek Smuda left frustrated by Poland exit

Poles apart: Franciszek Smuda left frustrated by Poland exit

Franc's for nothing: Smuda quits

Franc's for nothing: Smuda quits

Smuda, 63, confirmed that he will not continue in the post.

'This is the end of my adventure,' he said.

'The contract expires at the end of Euro 2012. Thank you all.

'For these two and a half years, we have created a team we can count on in the future. They were not perfect, they were not as good as we imagined, but this is football.'

Smuda suggested his players had been overconfident in their approach to the game against the Czechs and had failed to perform when it mattered. They missed a host of chances and in the end were undone by Petr Jiracek's second-half strike.

'We have to swallow this bitter pill today,' Smuda said. 'I think that probably we were too sure about the possibility of winning against the Czech Republic.

'We did everything we could. We misplaced too many passes in the second half and had to work hard to win back possession.'

Smuda added: 'For this two and a half years we have really created a team that we can count on in the future. Maybe we can improve in the future.

'It wasn't perfect, it wasn't as good as we could have imagined but this is football, this is how it works.'

Euro 2012: Ludovic Obraniak apologises for outburst

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Obraniak apologises for petulant outburst after being subbed in Poland's draw with Russia

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UPDATED:

11:08 GMT, 14 June 2012

Ludovic Obraniak has apologised to Poland coach Franciszek Smuda for a petulant outburst when he was substituted in stoppage time of the 1-1 draw with Russia.

The 28-year-old, one of four first-choice players born or brought up abroad, swore and kicked a water bottle when he was taken off in the 93rd minute just as he was preparing to take a free kick.

The French-born midfielder said: 'My emotions were all out of control because of the match, that was what caused my reaction. It was a very bad reaction and I apologise for it.'

Flashpoint: Obraniak shares word with Poland coach Smuda

Flashpoint: Obraniak shares word with Poland coach Smuda

Euro 2012 email button

Coach Franciszek Smuda told reporters that the matter was already done with.

Polish media have speculated that Obraniak will be dropped against the Czech Republic on Saturday in favour of Adrian Mierzejewski, who came on against Russia, in a bid for more creativity up front.

The hosts have struggled to create more than a handful of half chances in two draws so far at the tournament and must win for the first time ever at a European Championship finals against the Czechs to reach the quarter-finals.

Pole position: Mierzejewski could take Obraniak's place against the Czechs

Pole position: Mierzejewski could take Obraniak's place against the Czechs

Euro 2012: Poland thrash Andorra in friendly

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Poland 4 Andorra 0: Co-hosts on easy street as they prepare to welcome Europe

PUBLISHED:

19:02 GMT, 2 June 2012

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UPDATED:

19:02 GMT, 2 June 2012

Poland wrapped up preparations for Euro 2012 with a 4-0 romp over Andorra.

The co-hosting Poles will lean heavily on their Borussia Dortmund trio – striker Robert Lewandowski, captain Jakub Blaszczykowski and defender Lukasz Piszczek – and all three started against Andorra.

Poles apart: Robert Lewandowski was on target as Poland thrashed Andorra 4-0

Poles apart: Robert Lewandowski was on target as Poland thrashed Andorra 4-0

Ludovic Obraniak opened the scoring in the 13th minute and Lewandowski made it 2-0 nine minutes before half-time.

Poland, who have now gone five matches without conceding a goal, added a third through Blaszczykowski before Marcin Wasilewski completed the rout with a 77th-minute penalty.

Special connection: Lukasz Piszczek also of Borussia Dortmund, impressed

Special connection: Lukasz Piszczek also of Borussia Dortmund, impressed

'I'm pleased with the result and that all the players are okay,' said boss Franciszek Smuda.

Poland have had little to celebrate in recent years but hopes are high among the fans that Smuda's team can advance beyond the group stage where they will meet Russia, Czech Republic and Greece.

Euro 2012, co-hosted by Ukraine, begin on Friday.

Arsene Wenger is urged to grab Manchester United wild boy Ravel Morrison

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Wenger is urged to grab United wild boy Ravel

Top talent: But Ravel Morrison will have to mature

Top talent: But Ravel Morrison will have to mature

Arsene Wenger is being encouraged to bid for Manchester United contract rebel Ravel Morrison.

Sir Alex Ferguson rates Morrison, 18, as one of the best youngsters United have produced in his time at the club.

Despite the teenager's string of
off-field problems, Ferguson has persisted with him in the hope he could
turn his life around and become a key part of United's future.

But a dispute over a new contract has left Morrison's future in doubt.

Arsenal have pinpointed Morrison as a
player with massive potential and influential members of their scouting
network have recommended that Wenger at least considers a summer swoop
for the player.

Wenger realises Morrison has an abundance of talent and feels he could go on to carve out a career in the capital.

But concerns over Morrison's attitude have left Wenger with reservations.

Fears over whether Morrison could
stay on the straight and narrow, particularly in London, mean Wenger is
still pondering his options.

Newcastle have decided to fast-track their interest in Morrison by trying to sign him this month, while Roma are also keen.

Morrison's agent has denied the player demanded a contract worth 30,000 a week from United and that the club offered him 12,000 a week.

Meanwhile, Wenger will allow Lukasz Fabianski to leave the Gunners on loan this month as the goalkeeper looks to rescue his Euro 2012 dream.

Sportsmail has learned the Poland star, 25, has asked to move on loan because he fears his lack of first-team action will cost him a place in Franciszek Smuda's summer plans.

Fabianski's countryman Wojciech Szczesny is Arsenal's undisputed No. 1.

Fabianski's pending move means Spaniard Manuel Almunia will be the only keeper at Arsenal other than Szczesny with first team-experience.