Interview with Leo Beenhakker
Thursday, 15 May 08, 23:20 PM
Leo Beenhakker: I came back from the Polish Cup final with a headache. When the best two of Polish teams play, moveover, without any pressure, because both are guaranteed to participate in the cups, one expects a beautiful match and open game. Would want to call: "Go on, play! Nevermind, win or lose, but seek to score, seek to win." But no. Both teams above all, they did not want to lose a goal. I was watching this match, the play of Matusiak, Łobodziński, Wawrzyniak and the rest, and I was thinking about what awaits us in the Euro 2008 match with Germany. For God's sake, how I'm going to make them play on the level I need in three weeks? On the level of matches with Portugal, because in so we have to play on Euro. I was thinking to myself, that this qualification and style, in which we sometimes play, that's a real miracle. And we need a miracle again on the Euro. And therefore I can't wait till Monday, when the boys finally gather and start preparing.
Has Roger deserved to be chosen the best player of the final?
- Absolutely. I say it honestly and not to legitimate my decision to appoint him to the Euro. Roger was the only player in Belchatow, who wanted to play football. I don't say that he played very well. I say that he was pulling the game, he played forward, was creative.
What role would you entrust to Roger in Polish national team?
- Of the classic no. 10, but he may also, as he does in Legia with Vukovic, play on the position of defensive midfielder. In the national team the roles of defensive midfielders are such, that Lewandowski acts as a defender, guard the backs, and Dudka, Murawski and Garguła play forward. Number 10 meets the different functions, depending on the opponent. Sometimes he must be somewhat backed striker, sometimes he plays a role of the midfielder as Garguła, Roger or Majewski.
What may Roger give to the team?
- He is a very creative player. He sees more than others. As no one else in Polish Premier League, he can open the way to goal for his partner. He has an eye to find uncovered player, and once he aw him, he is able to pass successfully. In Belchatow he had two, three such passes, which I thought that they are perfect.
Looking at the game of Matusiak, we were wondering, who is making the mistake: the coach Beenhakker, invoking him, and not on Paweł Brożek for Euro, or the coach Skorża, who doesn't let him play in the league.
- I have bet on the players who have proven to me in the qualifying rounds, that they can rise from the league level to national team level. The fact that a player is playing in the club, makes no guarantee that he's going to play at the same level in the national team. Also, we have three matches in ten days. Look at Maciej Iwański. I was giving a chance to him, because he played in a club on good level. But in the national team he played on the same level. On the other hand, Łobodziński has shown me, even in the match with Kazakhstan, that he can be go above the average when the need comes. Matusiak is a puzzle for me. I will watch him on the preparation camp in Germany.
Artur Wichniarek scored ten goals in Bundesliga. We have heard that your staff has done a research that led to a conclusion, that he more often than the other players loses the ball before the a penalty area?
- We have reviewed the play of each player in every respect in many, many matches. I agree taht from the attacker playing with the number 9, we should require firstly and foremostly the goals. But to shot, you first need to find yourself close to the goal. And how many times we'll have an opportunity at goal in the match with Germany, you reckon?
Three or four?
- I hope that five. In today's football, at the highest level if both teams have five opportunities to score, it is a great game. This means that the most important task of number 9 is to move the ball from the rear to the front. Against Germany we are going to play under pressure and we will have to be smart to overcome it. This can be done in two ways. One we could see in the Polish Cup finals - close your eyes and shoot the ball out of the stadium. In Belchatow PZPN has lost four balls this way.
The second way is to shoot the ball from the back, look forward for the number 9 and send it to him. If the attacker is of the class of Raul, van Nistelrooy or Drogba, he will hold the ball and wait until the rest of the team left their own half and join the game. Miroslav Klose also play this way. Not only he scores, he is also able to skillfully hold the ball until Ballack and Schweinsteiger approach. All the time he controls the game. That's why, he is good.
I've reviewed in this respect all my potential players, how many balls can they hold, wait, and create a hazard for every ten balls they get. And how many of them they lose by allowing the rival to make a counterattack when the team is disorganized. You would be shocked if you could see the results of this research. If the fans could know more, they would understand some of my choices. Because in the match with Germany, we will be under pressure for about 60 minutes, and with Croatia even more. Austria will play differently, they will be waiting for our mistake and then react. I have honestly analysed, what people do I need for these matches. The fact that someone scored one goal in the last round, will not change my assessment of their skills and suitability. I say this with all respect for all the Jareks, Sikoras, Brożeks or Zieńczuks.
Who in this case is your number 1 position at number 9?
- It could be Ebi Smolarek, Maciej Żurawski or Matusiak. It depends on the opponent and in what form they will be. These are the questions to which I will seek answers during the preparation camp in Germany. For example, Matusiak will have to give me the answer on the field, is he able in such a short time to regain the form from the qualifications. If not, I will have to take a bad decision for him. But at least I am sure that he is able to play at a good level as the number 9. Many times we were practising that. I said to him: "Radek, hold the ball. See, your colleagues are 50 meters away from you. Wait until they are within 20 meters, and then you can reverse to the goal and do whatever you want - shoot, dribble, pass ...". And he knows that. I explain to him, that when he is facing back from a goal, he plays for the team. As is is facing front, then he may play his own game, has the freedom of action.
As you can see, the selection is something a little more complicated than to shout: "Hey, this guy scored yesterday, bring him on to the national team." Trust me, my staff did their homework well. We have reviewed every player concentrating for group matches and hence such choices.
What's with the health of Dariusz Dudka and Grzegorz Bronowicki? Apparently, the first one suffered a knee injury?
- Yes? I was surprised, he didn't play in the Polish Cup final, the medical staff of Wisla Krakow assured me, that he is healthy. I've asked my medical staff to double-check that. Rehabilitation of Bronowicki is progressing very well. We do not expect any problems with that.
In the German weekly newspaper "Sport Bild" you said, that you do not fear "the match with Germany, as the team of the coach Joachim Loewa is now an average team, deprived of world-class players and the mentality of the winner. This latter are today in Europe only Italians".
- I didn't say anything like that. I said that Klinsmann did revolution in the style of the Germans on the offensive game and he also changed the way of preparation. They are not playing the system with a libero, they switched to 4-4-2. They also play with the will ofwinning every match. I didn't also say anything about the Berlin wall. The man who wrote it, is stupid. I do not know whether he wanted to heat the atmosphere before our game? I will find him and find out.
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How Leo Beenhakker was selecting a squad...
Friday, 09 May 08, 22:40 PM
Leo Beenhakker has decided, that Arkadiusz Radomski, Artur Wichniarek, Dawid Janczyk, Lukasz Piszczek, Michal Golinski and Wojciech Kowalewski will not go to Donaueschingen for preparation camp before EURO 2008. Without three strikers, it seems that Poland is not going to be very dangerous offensively.
Here's what Leo Beenhakker said after announcing his decision:
1. Team welfare. Making any decision, I've been refering to what's the best for the team. I've done my best to make this group of players a real team. A team, in which there is full understanding and good coordination.
2. Skills of the players.
3. Team balance. In several cases I had three great players for one postion, but I knew that I can take only two of them - the main player and his substitute.
4. Physical and psychical form. It's going to be really hard tournament. Difficult matches every four days. I was looking for the players, who not only would recover fast physically but they wouldn't celebrate the win for the next three days or woudn't have been depressed for three days after eventual defeat. We won't have time for this on EURO 2008.
5. Social skills. Building the team, I'm judging also players' skills to be together in a group. In the best case we're going to spend six weeks together and I must be sure that players will be able to cooperate and coexist together.For many months me and my staff were analyzing every single detail. So now, if any Paul scores a goal in a match or any Peter scores in another, please don't call for them in the squad. I've already told you all: everything has been analyzed individually.
Well, we will see soon if he was right. I hope so.
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March FIFA ranking
Monday, 17 March 08, 02:15 AM
Since the last FIFA ranking Poland has worsen its position by four places and currently is on 24. position.
On the first twenty positions only Ghana moved from 14. place to 15. and Colombia took Poland's 20. place.
From Polish rivals in UEFA EURO Cup 2008 ranked the highest is Germany - 5th position. Croatia is 12th and Austria - 88th (was 84th).
FIFA ranking for 13th February 2008 (in brackets previous position):
| 1. | (1.) | Argentina |
| 2. | (2.) | Brazil |
| 3. | (3.) | Italy |
| 4. | (4.) | Spain |
| 5. | (5.) | Germany |
| 6. | (6.) | Czech Republic |
| 7. | (7.) | France |
| 8. | (8.) | Portugal |
| 9. | (9.) | Netherlands |
| 10. | (10.) | Greece |
| 11. | (11.) | England |
| 12. | (12.) | Croatia |
| 13. | (13.) | Romania |
| 14. | (14.) | Scotland |
| 15. | (14.) | Ghana |
| 16. | (16.) | Mexico |
| 17. | (17.) | Cameroon |
| 18. | (18.) | Turkey |
| 19. | (19.) | Bulgaria |
| 20. | (21.) | Colombia |
| 21. | (22.) | Russia |
| 22. | (23.) | Israel |
| 23. | (24.) | Ivory Coast |
| 24. | (20.) | Poland |
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FIFA ranking 13.02.08
Thursday, 14 February 08, 21:18 PM
Since the last FIFA ranking Poland has been promoted by three places and currently is on 20. position.
First nine places are without changes. We can see a lot of movements of African teams after recently finished Africa Cup of Nations. The bronze-medallist Ghana has been promoted from 43. position to 19.
From Polish rivals in UEFA EURO Cup 2008 ranked the highest is Germany - 5th position. Croatia is 12th and Austria - 84th.
FIFA ranking for 13th February 2008 (in brackets previous position):
| 1. | (1.) | Argentina |
| 2. | (2.) | Brazil |
| 3. | (3.) | Italy |
| 4. | (4.) | Spain |
| 5. | (5.) | Germany |
| 6. | (6.) | Czech Republic |
| 7. | (7.) | France |
| 8. | (8.) | Portugal |
| 9. | (9.) | Netherlands |
| 10. | (11.) | Greece |
| 11. | (12.) | England |
| 12. | (10.) | Croatia |
| 13. | (13.) | Romania |
| 14. | (43.) | Ghana |
| 14. | (14.) | Scotland |
| 16. | (17.) | Mexico |
| 17. | (25.) | Cameroon |
| 18. | (16.) | Turkey |
| 19. | (18.) | Bulgaria |
| 20. | (23.) | Poland |
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Polish goalkeepers
Wednesday, 13 February 08, 21:13 PM
I said that I'm going to write something more about TVP in regards of Polish football national team, but another topic interested me lately - Polish goalkeepers.
Currently Poland is in the middle of big national discussion about who should and who should not go to EURO 2008. From all Polish players playing in top world leagues, our goalkeepers have the strongest position in their teams, therefore the biggest part of this discussion is focused on them.
Who do we have to choose from?
Artur Boruc - Celtic Glasgow
Currently number 1 in Polish national team. He did really well in World Cup 2006 (he was one of few Polish players we didn't have to be ashamed for, to be more precise) and right now it seems
that he's in his top form. I would be really surprised if he wasn't chosen by Leo Beenhakker.
Tomasz Kuszczak - Manchester United.
He is a substitute of Edwin van der Sar and actually doesn't play much. He is also the "most controversial" player in the Polish national team - the debate is now mostly about him. Some people
say that playing in MU means that you're good enough to be in national team, others say that one needs to play, not to be a substitute...
Lukasz Fabianski - Arsenal London
He plays even less than Kuszczak and unlike the other, he didn't have chance to play in Champions League. Arsene Wegner makes him a goalkeeper only in unimportant matches.
Jerzy Dudek - Real Madrid
Another substitute player, his time is slowly going to end, although everyone still can remember his superb performance in Champions League final Liverpool vs. AC Milan. He is also still good
enough for one of the strongest teams in the world. I don't think he will find his place in Polish national team on EURO 2008, though.
Wojciech Kowalewski - Korona Kielce
He was the goalkeeper of Spartak Moscow for the last 4 years, but (again!) he was sitting on the bench most of the time. Right now he moved to Polish team Korona Kielce to prove that he's good
enough to be taken to EURO.
Five really good goalkeepers, only three of them will go to EURO. Right now it seems that the three will be Boruc, Fabianski and Kowalewski or Boruc, Fabianski and Kuszczak.
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Poles will not see Polish matches on EURO 2008?
Monday, 11 February 08, 19:14 PM
Polish public television (TVP) and commercial TV station (Polsat) still haven't agreed on the terms of showing EURO 2008 matches in TVP.
Polsat is the transmission rights owner for Poland, which it had bought for 15 millions euro. It was agreed that TVP will buy rights to show 16 from 31 matches (including all Polish matches, the opening match and the final) for 9 millions euro. All of the matches would be independently shown on Digital Polsat - paid, encrypted channels of Polsat.
All was agreed, but no one from TVP has shown up on the meeting with certifying notary to sign the agreement. They suddenly changed their offer to be 25% lower.
The owner of Polsat - Zygmut Solorz-Zak said:
"We are not going to negotiate with TVP any longer. EURO 2008 matches will be shown only on our channels. Their time is up. Fans should not blame us, only TVP for not wanting to participate in such big event as EURO 2008".
TVP sport director, former world champion in race walking - Robert Korzeniowski still is optimistic:
"There still is time for negotations. We have a lot of good will"
You know what's the most funny thing? TVP is actually payable - every single household in Poland has to pay about 7 USD per month for having a TV set! It doesn't matter if you use cable TV (which is paid separately), it doesn't matter if you use your TV set only for watching movies from VCR/DVD - you still have to pay. Isn't it nice? ;)
In 2006 the income of TVP from this licence fee was over 210 million USD. And they claim, they don't have money to buy rights to show EURO 2008 in the first place and now to buy sublicence to show selected matches.
Tomorrow I will say a little more about football matches in TVP. Stay tuned :)
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