Awaiting league matches impatiently

It all began with a few events being cancelled, athletes withdrawing from the competition and stands being left empty. Even though some leagues had already put the matches to a halt by then, it seemed like this situation did not apply to Poland. Still, everyone decided to stay cautious and keep a distance. The reality hit everyone two days after Lech Poznań faced Wisła Cracow (March 8^th). Just when everyone started concentrating on the upcoming league round – and the two derby games – the Polish supporters were told that all games will be played without a crowd. Within two days’ time, Ekstraklasa matches were officially put to a halt. It’s been 53 days since Lech Poznań played their last league match. However, the government’s decision to resume sports activities and an official date of Ekstraklasa’s resumption gave fans something to look forward to.

“How long one can last without football is a good indicator of how addicted they are to the sport.” It’s hard not to agree with Radosław Nawrot, a journalist working for Gazeta Wyborcza. The media representative’s statement dates back to a month ago when the hunger for football wasn’t as intense because it’s been two weeks since the supporters were deprived of weekly football spectacles. Now, we have decided to ask the journalist what the past few weeks were like for him. “The addiction's side effects were evident, and they made me realise my dependency on sports, football, and Lech. After all, that’s what I do for a living, among other things. However, these past few weeks also showed us where sports and football are in the hierarchy of values – in a time of crisis, sports didn’t play an important role anymore,” explained Nawrot.

“Usually, there are two annual breaks from football – the summer and winter ones – which last about two months. However, now we were given an additional break, much longer than those we are used to. It’s not something easy to wrap your head around,” highlighted Grzegorz Hałasik who works for Radio Poznań. “We are awaiting league games impatiently because they are the core of our job. We miss Ekstraklasa, no doubt about it, especially because for a long time, we didn’t know when football would resume again. We all sat and thought about how to deal with this issue despite our limited knowledge about the situation. Now there is an actual schedule but there is no way of knowing whether we can stick to the plan. I think that as soon as the players reappear on the pitches, a flood of optimism will boost the attempts to finish this season as normally as possible,” added Hałasik.

On May 30th, Lech Poznań is going to face Legia Warsaw – an exhilarating clash which, before coronavirus put football to a halt, was being looked forward to by all Polish football fans. With both teams in great shape, there was no doubt that the match would be a true football spectacle, especially when you consider the motivation that both teams display against their biggest opponent.

“We are all hungry for league football to resume and curious to see how it’s all going to look like after the break. It’s no longer as important who your team is playing against. Most likely, Lech’s clash with Legia will be packed with adrenaline, but it’s hard to tell whether it will be comparable to what the matches between those two teams usually look like. People are so desperate to watch football again that every game will feel like a celebration,” explained Hałasik.

Even though the rules remain the same, you can’t say that the situation is going back to normal. The new reality enforced safety regulations in certain aspects, including those concerning the pitch, in order to minimise the risk of players infecting one another. “This month will be sort of a test. First of all, one that’s going to show us whether strict discipline around safety regulations can be maintained in the world of football. Secondly, it will be a test of loyalty. We will see who wants to play football and who’s really looking to sabotage the league – and there will be plenty of opportunities to do that. It’s also a chance to check if the squads are healthy. Sports play a big role in my life and I’d love for football to resume, however, the priorities remain unchanged,” emphasised Radosław Nawrot.