Euro 2012 hosts Poland ink in Belarus friendly

22 September 2011 20:05

Euro 2012 co-hosts Poland will meet Belarus in Germany next month for their latest tournament-preparation friendly, Poland's PZPN football association said.

The October 11 match is scheduled to take place at the BRITA-Arena in the western German city of Wiesbaden, said PZPN spokeswoman Agnieszka Olejkowska.

Belarus have failed to qualify for Euro 2012, standing fourth in Group D behind Romania, Bosnia and table-topper France.

They will meet Poland after facing on Romania on October 7 in their final qualifier.

The Poles, meanwhile, will be on their way home from a friendly against South Korea in Seoul the same day.

Like fellow-hosts Ukraine, Poland have an automatic berth at the 16-nation European championships and so must rely on friendlies to hone their skills.

On September 6, Poland almost pulled off a major upset against Germany, whom they have never beaten, before a extra-time goal by the visitors saw the match end 2-2.

That result, on a back of a 1-1 score at home to Mexico just days earlier, helped ease the pressure on Poland manager Franciszek Smuda, who has faced repeated criticism from fans and dressing-room bust-ups with players unhappy with his tactics.

After Belarus, Poland's next opponents will Italy, who have already qualified for Euro 2012 after topping Group C.

They are due to meet in the southwestern Polish city of Wroclaw on November 11, Poland's national day.

Source: AFP