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Poles set Federation date: FIFA

SoccerNews in World Cup 24 Oct 2008

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Election to the Polish Football Federation (PZPN) will take place on October 30 despite the arrest of former coach Janusz Wojcik, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said on Friday.

Blatter confirmed at a FIFA executive committee meeting in Zurich that the PZPN’s electoral congress will go ahead next Thursday despite ongoing “civil or penal investigations” against some of the body’s officials.

The elections “will take place,” Blatter added.

The vote will go ahead in the context of Polish prosecutors having charged Poland’s former national team manager Wojcik with 11 counts of corruption in a vast probe dating back to 2004, when he managed a first-division side.

Wojcik was Poland national side manager from 1997 to 1999. He has also coached the national sides of the United Arab Emirates and Syria, as well as clubs in Poland and Cyprus.

From 2003-2004 he managed the Warsaw-area club Swit Nowy Dwor Mazowiecki, which enjoyed sudden success that season.

Prosecutors have also pressed charges against PZPN Secretary-General Zdzislaw Krecina, one of the four candidates standing in the body’s leadership race and accused of having transferred 320,000 zlotys (88,800 euros, 116,500 dollars) to a club’s bank account in 2006 even though the money had been frozen by the tax authorities.

Krzysztof Perek, a PZPN match observer, was arrested along with Wojcik Wednesday.

A total of 158 people — including referees, players, club officials and PZPN members — have now been snared in a vast football graft probe.

FIFA had threatened to bar Poland from the qualifying campaign for the 2010 World Cup if the vote did not go ahead and the Polish government backed down, sacking the administrator it had appointed to run the PZPN and reinstating the sitting leadership pending the election.

Poland is anxious not to pick a quarrel with UEFA and FIFA as it is to co-host the 2012 European championships with neighbouring Ukraine.

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