Polish World Cup relief as agreement reached on elections

October 10, 2008

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Football's world and European governing bodies said Friday they have reached an agreement with the Polish FA on new elections after a row that had threatened to scupper some World Cup qualifying matches.

FIFA and UEFA met with the Polish authorities in Zurich where they “reached an agreement on the roadmap to be followed for the elections of the Polish FA (PZPN) and for the steps to be taken for the future of Polish football,” FIFA said in a statement.

The bitter dispute had also threatened Poland's co-hosting of the Euro 2012 championships which they are sharing with Ukraine.

FIFA had given Poland a deadline of Monday noon to reinstate the sacked board of the PZPN football federation and its president Michal Listkiewicz or face sanctions.

Poland's Sports Ministry last week sacked the PZPN board and replaced it with an administrator, following over three years of match-fixing scandals in Polish football.

FIFA said Monday that it had received “an exchange of communications” between the government and the PZPN “which indicate a positive evolution in the situation”.

As a result, Poland's World Cup qualifying matches later this month against the Czech Republic and Slovakia will go ahead as planned.

Following Friday's meeting, the three parties agreed that elections to the PZPN will take place on October 30 as scheduled.

FIFA and UEFA will thereafter “support and assist the newly elected leadership … in order to improve the management and development of football in Poland, to help in the fight against criminal activities in and around football in the country,” the FIFA statement said.

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