Though the former goalkeeper hasn’t faced charges, his six-month term as head coach has been marred in controversy over his alleged involvement in the corruption scandal that sent shock waves through the world of Polish football in the early 2000s.
In the aftermath of legal proceedings, some 600 people including sports executives, referees, coaches and footballers stood accused of fixing the scores of football games in Poland.
Czesław Michniewicz, who at the time managed clubs in the Polish top tier, rushed to the prosecutor’s office and gave a statement, denying any links to match fixing.
But the recent accusations against Poland’s head coach have been stoked by an article on the Wirtualna Polska website, whose investigative journalist Szymon Jadczak broke down all the phone calls between Michniewicz and Ryszard F., known by his alias “The Barber”, who was sentenced for founding and leading a criminal match-fixing group in Poland.
According to Jadczak’s findings, the men exchanged 591 calls, spending 27 hours talking on the phone. He determined that Michniewicz coached teams in 11 matches that were suspected of being rigged or confirmed to have been fixed.
In response to the article on Michniewicz’s connections with the match-fixing baron, the coach decided to file suit against Jadczak for libel, but later backed out, citing his desire to focus on the national team’s preparations for the upcoming World Cup instead.
The revelations regarding Michniewicz’s alleged complicity in match fixing prompted a reaction from the national team’s sponsors. Polish logistics giant InPost has demanded an explanation from the Polish Football Association, the Money.pl portal wrote.
The case has spread to media outlets all over the world. Globally-recognised newspaper La Marca featured a story about Michniewicz and his ties with The Barber, stressing that the head coach wasn’t convicted of playing a part in the match-fixing scandal.
(pjm)