By David Gold
May 6 – Legia Warsaw and Lech Poznan will play their respective Polish League games against Korona Kielce and Gornik Zabrze in front of empty stadiums after rioting following the cup final between the two sides last week.
Warsaw defeated Poznan on penalties, leading to ugly scenes in Bydgoszcz, where the match was being held, with police forced to use water cannons to quell the disturbances.
The Povincial Governors of the two clubs’ respective regions, Jacek Kozlowski and Piotr Florek, announced the punishments, and the rioting raised serious questions about Poland’s preparations for the 2012 European Championships, which it is co-hosting with Ukraine.
“This is our joint responsibility,” said Kozlowski.
“It is high time that the governor used his power.
“I have the courage to take such decision.”
Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk also spoke to urge a clampdown on football violence and denounced the supporters who were involved in the trouble.
“Measures used so far have proven themselves inefficient,” he said.
“The modern stadiums we are building are not meant to witness Medieval-era kind of behaviour.”
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