Dawid Andersen, a Polish recruitment consultant at Work in Denmark, first moved here in 1991, and they have been lean years – well, at least until 2008.
“I first noticed him at Lech Poznań,” he says of Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski – their first genuine world-class player since Juventus striker Zibi Boniek in the 1980s – who was Europe’s top scorer in qualifying with 13 goals.
“He was great. I liked his attitude: focused, patient and ready. For the first time in years I felt here was a player who could make it in one of the big leagues.”
Despite third-place finishes at the 1974 and 82 World Cups, Poland have never flourished at a Euros, finishing last in their group in their only two appearances in 2008 and 2012, in which they deeply disappointed as co-hosts.
But with Lewandowski on board, Andersen fancies their chances of making it to the knockout stages after negotiating a tough qualifying group that included Germany, the Republic of Ireland and Scotland.
Outsiders Northern Ireland in their opening game offers a genuine chance to record their first ever win in the competition, after which a draw against either Germany or Euro 2012 co-hosts and neighbours Ukraine should be enough to see them qualify.
Poland actually beat Germany 2-0 in the qualifiers – a win that was long overdue for Andersen. “It was like losing my virginity again,” he said. (BH)
