UEFA EURO 2016
Crusaders in the curve
As the host of Euro 2012, Poland launched many programs to combat violence and racism. Four years later, the situation is fundamentally different. What remained of the campaigns against the risk of the game against Germany?
A Crusader defending Europe with the sword, to threaten while in the Mediterranean sea refugee boats capsize. With this design, the Ultras of Slask Wroclaw protested on a choreography in the last autumn against the “Islamisation” in Poland. UEFA asked football clubs in European competitions to donations from ticket revenue. Fans of Lech Poznan called for a Boycott of the campaign. So only 8000 came instead of the usual 20,000 spectators for a home game. And in the case of Legia Warsaw chanted the spectators: “errant sheep. Welcome to the hell”.
“In Poland, a frightening shift to the right”, says the extremism researcher Rafal Pankowski, of the observed, the Polish fan base for more than two decades. This hostile sentiment against refugees in almost all of the fanbase significantly by anti-Muslim banners, chants, and street demonstrations. Pankowski: “most of The Ultras, the national encourage conservative climate. Unfortunately, there are, however, in football hardly Protest. So the overall picture is not so optimistic, as we had it to ourselves four years ago, hoped for.”
The Association of chief makes the mood against anti-racist activists
Rafal Pankowski is a researcher at the Collegium Civitas in Warsaw. In 1996, he was one of the founders of the Initiative “Nigdy Wiecej”, in English: “Never Again”. With a view to the European Championships in 2012, the organization launched one of the widest programmes of European football, supported by UEFA and the European network Fare-Football Against Racism in Europe. The programme of Workshops, exhibitions, tournaments, and training of teachers, trainers, and security forces.
The Polish Football Association Chief Zbigniew Boniek
In the four years after that, the support for prevention decreased increasingly, says Pankowski – of policy, UEFA and the media: “Unfortunately, to us has helped the Polish football Association at work is rather hampered.” The Association chief Zbigniew Boniek, one of the most successful players in Poland’s history, was happy about the election victory of the right-wing populist party “law and justice”. Moreover, published Boniek on Twitter a photo of Jacek Purski, one of the most influential heads of the “Never Again”. To do this, Boniek placed the reference to a right magazine. It insults and threats against Jacek Purski followed.
Twelve fan projects are just the beginning
In this climate there is no Polish fan group, which is positioned against the Right. Instead, open baiting: Poznan Fans showed, for example, a poster with the lettering “The Pila-Legion – The blood of our race”. The quote comes from the extreme right-wing Band “Konkwista88”. The majority of the stadium spectators of such abusive takes turns indifferent to it, probably from fear of the mighty Ultras.
“We want to support the strong personalities in the fan scene”, says Dariusz Lapinski. “So that younger Fans can in future be geared to you and the situation improved.” Lapinski studied in Frankfurt-on-Oder, he conducted research on nationalism in Poland, and observed over a number of years, the scenes in Germany. With a view to Euro 2012, he returned to Poland, after the German model of social-pedagogical fan projects. In the meantime, the network has grown to twelve points of contact, further projects are to follow. Lapinski is employed by the Polish Association, Fan experts, he is recognized all over Europe. He must win the trust of the followers, the support of the local authorities to secure suitable secure social workers for the projects.
Taunt against Lewandowski
Money regularly imposed in Poland met on clubs that regularly grandstands for the audience to be closed. Also, Lapinski will be watching closely how the shift to the right by the impact on the fan curves. For a long time, the party “law and justice” of Jaroslaw Kaczynski-friendly words for the “Patriotic signals” of the Ultras. And it goes further: The anti-European Parliament-Deputy Krystyna Pawlowicz noted recently, the “national loyalty” by Robert Lewandowski in question, finally, of the striker of German club will be paid, the FC Bayern. Lewandowski was one of the few top Polish athletes, who had argued for a humane refugee policy, his Advisor is a good contact to “Never Again”.
Poland Superstar Robert Lewandowski is challenged
“Party want to politically let the Fans not the club”, says Dariusz Lapinski. “You have made too many bad experiences.” However, many Fans are seen regularly at rallies against refugees. Similar to Pegida in Dresden or Legida in Leipzig, where the rights of supporters of Dynamo Dresden, the locomotive of Leipzig play a significant role.
“The risk of tragic incidents,”
What is the impact of this development on the European Championships in France, where Poland competes on Thursday against Germany, and on Monday against the Ukraine? “I think that not a lot of extreme right-wing Fans will arrive, but some of the to be determined,” says the extremism researcher Rafal Pankowski. “We do not expect that it will come in the stages of violence. But in France, many people with African and Arabic roots, also to the stadiums. I hope that it comes to tragic incidents. But the risk exists.”
In France, 19 of the 24 participating countries are now using mobile focal points represented. Organized by Fans for Fans, in order to create a friendly atmosphere. With Nations such as Russia, Ukraine or Hungary, where many of the violent and nationalistic Fans set the tone. From Poland no Fan is present-message. Dariusz Lapinski long campaigned to support the trailer, but the interest was not sufficient.