EN / Behind the Curtain - review

Rather than yet another football travel book, it is a story of corruption, crime and mismanagement that reflect the way how football has been run in Central and Eastern Europe.

At first a dream task of travelling and writing about the beautiful game, it quickly emerges that football is just a background to systematic problems still faced in a reality hidden until recently behind Europe’s Iron Curtain. And its legacy, it seems, continues.

PL / Wcale nie kijowo

(Pył po Euro2012 już dawno opadł, więc na chłodno skleciłem pewne przemyślenia ze zgiełku wydarzeń wokół finału tej imprezy. Poniżej fragmenty – momentami wyrwane z szerszego kontekstu – pochodzą z tekstu opublikowanego w lipcowym numerze FutbolMaga - rb) 

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Do Kijowa przyciągnął mnie futbol. Ale też i potrzeba rzucenia wyzwania tkwiącym we mnie stereotypom o naszych wschodnich sąsiadach. Tak naprawdę w idei Euro, jak i każdej dużej imprezy sportowej, rywalizacja o puchar to tylko pretekst, aby odwiedzić nowe miejsce i czegoś się nauczyć. Także o sobie.

EN / The Leaderless Revolution – review

(Spoiler alert)

Anarchists have a bad name. At best, your first thoughts are the rebellious Iroquois hairdo punks wearing leather jackets and listening to the Clash. An ancient picture, really. At worst, and most likely, they are the masked youth carrying vigorous aggression in their eyes. A suited and booted former British diplomat enjoying highlife and business class airline tickets would not be your first guess, surely. 

Yet, in his latest book Carne Ross fiercely advocates that various forms of anarchy should be the means and end of what we strive to achieve in building local, regional and international communities. Being honest, if I was introduced to The Leaderless Revolution in that way, I would not have bothered ordering it from Amazon. I would have missed out on a very well-argued and thought-provoking read, too. Convincing? Comme ci, comme ça...

EN / A football book against the time

It is every author’s dream to write a book on contemporary affairs that will still have a sensation of freshness in twenty years’ time. This task becomes even more challenging when the story is composed with evasive bits that can change their meaning and importance with one kick of the ball.

Or, perhaps, the role of football does not actually depend on one kick, whether shot into the roof of the net or wide into the row Z, and, instead, it is much deeper than that? Maybe football and its social legacy can defend itself regardless of an outcome of a 90-minutes match?

PL / Azzurri i widmo 1966

Euro zaczyna się na nowo w angielskim obozie. Bramka wypoczętego Rooneya cieszy, ale powracają objawy choroby, która wykończyła poprzedników Hodgsona. Przezwyciężenie jej jest równie istotne co sam bój o półfinał.

EN / Early take on Poland's Euro campaign

I spoke to EuroTwentyTwelve blog ahead of Poland-Russia match last night to discuss the Greece match and what could have been expected in a Tuesday match against arch-rivals. I got it right with some points, eventually... ;) 

Smuda got it 'wrong' against Greece

Poland got off to a blistering start against Greece in the opening match of the tournament but reversed all their good work in the second-half. One Polish journalist believes the coach, Franciszek Smuda, got his tactics wrong and doesn’t believe Poland will be able to beat Russia when they meet them later today.

EN / Colourful nature of world affairs

The world is colourful. It is, at least, a conclusion that can be drawn from enjoying the Mappa series by Alighiero Boetti that until recently were displayed in London’s Tate Modern.

The exhibition, by name – “Game Plan” – with geopolitical connotations, offered an opportunity to experience how international affairs can be presented in arts.

EN / Talking to the Beeb

Kudos to Andy Brassell for making this one to happen. I always enjoy the lightness of his writing, particularly when he produces another interesting piece despite me troubling him with some chit-chats during or after the matches. 

I might have been in the middle of packing for a trip to Munich but when Andy asked me to share some thoughts of Poland's bumpy road to the Euros it was an opportunity that one simply cannot let slip. 

PL / Rozmowy w Monachium

Pasja jest najważniejsza. Są miejsca, sprawy, ludzie, rzeczy, które powodują, że uśmiech natychmiast gości na naszych twarzach i natychmiast inaczej patrzymy na codzienne bolączki. Czasami ma to charakter niesamowicie wysublimowany, choć wyrażony w trywialnych formach. 

PL / Demonizacja Europy Wschodniej

(Artykuł został opublikowany na łamach iGol.pl 17-ego kwietnia.) 

Poranne doniesienia o rasizmie na stadionach Euro 2012 i potencjalnych „wypadkach”, do których może dojść podczas imprezy, to nie pierwsza próba podważenia pozycji Polski ze strony FIFPro. Problemy istnieją, ale rewelacje międzynarodowej federacji piłkarzy to bełkot i próby manipulacji wizerunkiem. 

EN / Will this Barça leave a legacy?

With 28% of possession and only 194 passes completed to Barcelona's 782, Chelsea have reached for their tactics at Camp Nou in 2009 and Inter's in 2010 to once again prove that the "best football team ever" can actually be halted.

As argued by an ancient strategist Ibn Khaldūn in his theory of the cycle of civilisations, the sophisticated culture is always inevitably defeated and replaced by the barbarians.

EN / Day at the Lords’

The House of Lords, not the cricket ground, of course! Somehow, the game still seems to be more mysterious to me than the ceremony of politics between these life peers in the South wing of Westminster Palace.

Unlike the House of Commons, I have often overlooked the events in the House of Lords and, despite being an Anglophile, never really got it beyond: “It’s just like the Polish Senate but people there are not elected but usually appointed for a job for life, don’t represent constituents but review what is going on in the HoC and the Government instead,” to put it simplistically.

PL / Horror na Craven Cottage

Mecz w Londynie, który na zawsze zapisze się w pamięci Krakowa. Magia europejskich pucharów oczami przegranych.

Frustracja i szok. Martin Jol niedowierzająco kręcił głową, idąc w stronę tunelu. Jego piłkarze nie mieli nawet odwagi podnieść wzroku. Po wyrównującej bramce Baye Djiby'ego Falla sędzia nawet nie wskazał na środek boiska. Natychmiast odgwizdał koniec spotkania. Fulham odpadło z Ligi Europy w stylu tak dramatycznym, jak i tragicznym.

EN / He got it wrong

Over the weekend, the debate was dominated by the British PM's Thursday night decision in Brussels. Rightly so.

Britain decided not to engage with new EU financial measures. Sadly for the country, by "national interests" the Prime Minister understands the interests of EC3, EC4 and a few others neighbouring City of London postcodes. By rejecting taking on some of the European fiscal risk, Britain has altogether given up the chance to steer the ship cruising around the continent. Whether it sinks or not, it is out of British hands now. Either way it goes, it will surely affect London as severely as every member of the eurozone.

EN / And you thought you knew everything about Arsenal?

Review of “Arsènal: The Making of a Modern Superclub” by Alex Fynn and Kevin Whitcher

In a balanced analysis of on- and off-the-field developments at Arsenal Football Club, the book tells the story how the ground for the appointment of Arsène Wenger was prepared and, subsequently, the Project Wenger of steering the club through troubled waters was implemented. It is written by two club insiders who collate Arsenal’s footballing performance with the power struggle in the boardroom during the transition period of moving to a new ground and setting the club’s new philosophy of the game.

PL / Ostatnia wieczerza w Lidze Mistrzów?

Wróciłem przed momentem z przedmeczowych konferencji prasowych na Stamford Bridge. Zazwyczaj podczas tak zwanego MD-1 (czyli Matchday Minus 1) szkoleniowiec gospodarzy spotyka się z mediami po porannej sesji treningowej w ośrodku treningowym, natomiast pod wieczór na główną płytę stadionu wybiega drużyna gości, aby zapoznać się z polem nadchodzącej bitwy. Tym razem jednak ktoś w Chelsea zdecydował się przenieść sesję medialną gospodarzy z Cobham na Stamford Bridge, z poranka na wieczór. Dlaczego? Nie wiem.

EN / J'accuse

In response to the BBC’s Dan Roan’s TV material “The challenges of Euro 2012 for Poland & Ukraine”

Over the last few days, England has been shocked by emerging videos that show first-hand experience of deeply-rooted racism in the English society. “A lot of black people and a lot of f--- Polish”, said 34-year-old Emma West as she started her rant in a Youtube video known as “My Tram Experience”. Suddenly, in a matter of hours, more videos of similar content have been published online. It all comes on the top of other major controversies as England captain’s racist remarks have now been passed to the Crown Prosecution Service, to name just the most pressing one.

Anti-MBA in 2 hours

“Anything You Want: 40 Lessons for a New Kind of Entrepreneur” (2011) by Derek Sivers

A simply story of how one man’s passion led to a success he had never dreamt of or even wanted. Using a no-nonsense language, Sivers explains how commitment and sticking to his values made his dreams come true, earned him a decent fortune and caused a misery. If you ever thought about taking a MBA course, this book will teach you everything that you wouldn't have learnt there.

EN / Mellberg in the heart of the Greek tragedy

“It’s always nice to come back,” said Olof Mellberg on his return to the English soil. Since leaving Aston Villa in the summer of 2008, the bearded defender has already travelled back a number of times with Juventus and Olympiacos, usually with no luck though. Tuesday’s defeat at Wembley was no different. Speaking after the game, he couldn’t hide disappointment from Sweden’ second defeat in just four days. Excusable? “One after another, we had two tough friendlies: Denmark away and England away,” said Mellberg. “It was always going to be difficult to get the results”, he grimaced as he continued.

PL / Festiwal pełen przeciwieństw

Londyn gości Ligę Mistrzów. Z jednej strony słoneczna pogoda i tłumy ludzi cieszących się piłkarskim festiwalem, który trwa w Hyde Parku przy okazji finałów Ligi Mistrzów na Craven Cottage oraz Wembley. Z drugiej, ciemne chmury nad najdroższym dla kibiców meczem LM w historii. A i tak wstęp będą mieli tylko nieliczni, nazywani szczęśliwcami.