Poland and the Netherlands share a lot of football history. For example, in addition to the matches played between the national men’s teams we wrote about earlier, the Dutch and Polish women’s teams have crossed paths as well: they have faced each other in three friendly matches, the first of which took place on 8 August 2009 in Tilburg, where the Netherlands won 2-0. Ten years later, in 2019, Poland won the second match 0-1. The third encounter was played last year and once again ended in a Dutch victory: 4-1. Goals were scored by Ewa Pajor, Małgorzata Grec (own goal), Lineth Beerensteyn, Lieke Martens, and Jill Roord.
This month, moreover, football club NAC Breda presented their shirts for the new season, which feature the names and photographs of Polish soldiers who died during the liberation of Breda in 1944. In 2019, on the 75th anniversary of the liberation, NAC temporarily renamed their stadium after General Maczek, who led the Polish 1st Armoured Division. In addition, numerous Polish footballers have played for Dutch clubs. Some of the best-known examples include keeper Jerzy Dudek (Feyenoord), striker Arkadiusz Milik (Ajax), and of course forward Włodzimierz ‘Wlodi’ Smolarek (Feyenoord and FC Utrecht), who also enjoyed success with the Polish national team and settled in the Netherlands, becoming youth coach for Feyenoord.
Conversely, Dutch players have participated in the Polish competition, such as Fred Benson (Lechia Gdańsk), Kew Jaliens (Wisła Kraków), and Johan Voskamp (Śląsk Wrocław). Dutch coaches have been active in Poland as well. Robert Maaskant, for example, was trainer of Wisła Kraków in 2010 and 2011. Starting in 2006, furthermore, the national Polish men’s team was coached by Leo Beenhakker. Under his guidance, Poland in 2008 made its debut at a European Championship, but the team – which included Euzebiusz ‘Ebi’ Smolarek, the son of ‘Wlodi’ – did not make it past the group phase. Although Beenhakker was fired in 2009, he was awarded the Order of Polonia Restituta for his contribution to Polish football.
Lastly, Polish football enthusiasts in the Netherlands regularly organise amateur competitions. They too are part of Dutch-Polish football history!
*I originally wrote this post for the social media outlets of the Dutch Embassy in Poland. This was post no. 56.