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Football: Poland to play Finland, Ukraine friendlies behind closed doors

10.03.2020 12:45
Poland’s national football squad will play its upcoming friendly matches on home turf against Finland and Ukraine behind closed doors because of a coronavirus outbreak, officials said on Tuesday.
Maciej Sawicki.
Maciej Sawicki.Photo: PAP/Radek Pietruszka

Poland are due to take on Finland in the southwestern city of Wrocław on March 27 and then play Ukraine at a revamped Silesian Stadium in Chorzów, in the country’s south, on March 31.

Both matches will be played without spectators, Maciej Sawicki, secretary-general of the Polish Football Association (PZPN), the national governing body for the sport, said on Tuesday, as cited by public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency.

He added that both games would be broadcast free-to-air by Polish state television TVP.

The Polish team is scheduled to play a total of four friendly matches on home turf ahead of this year’s European championships.

Poland will play Russia at the National Stadium in Warsaw on June 2 and face off against Iceland in the western city of Poznań a week later.

Poland’s Sports Minister Danuta Dmowska-Andrzejuk said last week that the upcoming matches of the national football team would take place “in accordance with the agreed dates.”


Poland’s Sports Minister Danuta Dmowska-Andrzejuk. Photo: PAP/Piotr Nowak Poland’s Sports Minister Danuta Dmowska-Andrzejuk. Photo: PAP/Piotr Nowak

The 24-team Euro 2020 tournament is due to be held from June 12 to July 12, 2020 in 12 cities around Europe.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Tuesday that all large public gatherings would be banned across the country in a stepped-up effort to prevent the spread of the new SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Eighteen confirmed cases of coronavirus infection have been reported in Poland.

(gs/pk)

Source: IAR