Poland enjoyed a highly successful UEFA U-19 European Championship. The East Europeans excelled in their role as tournament hosts, and the Polish U-19s also sealed a much sought-after berth at the FIFA U-20 World Cup Canada 2007, where the team coached by Michal Globisz could easily prove one of the surprise packages.

Qualifying
The U-19-European Championships on home soil started badly for the home team with a demoralising 1-0 Group A reverse against Austria. However, the players roused themselves for their crucial second fixture and registered a convincing 4-1 victory over Belgium. A semi-final berth was at stake in the final group fixture against the Czech Republic, but although home dreams of a place in the last four evaporated in a 2-0 defeat to the Czechs, the Poles had done enough to secure a third-place finish in the Group and with it a ticket to the FIFA U-20 World Cup Canada 2007.

Coach
Michal Globisz, born in Poznan in 1956, enjoyed only moderate success as a player but rapidly made a name for himself after switching to the coaching side of the game in 1974. Initially attached to the youth section at BKS Lechia Gdansk in the north of Poland, Globisz earned a sports university diploma in Warsaw four years later before taking charge of Lechia's senior team in the national second division in 1981. He joined the Polish association (PZPN) just a year later, and has worked there in a variety of roles ever since. He trained the country's futsal squad in 1994, but switched back to the eleven-a-side game just two years later, stepping up to the U-14 helm before leading his charges as a U-16 team to the 1998-9 UEFA U-16 European Championship Final. Globisz subsequently travelled with his squad to the FIFA U-17 World Championship New Zealand 1999. He then coached at U-18 level, leading his side to the trophy at the 2000-2001 UEFA U-18-European Championship.

Star player
Without a doubt, Legia Warsaw striker Dawid Janczyk rates as the most gifted player in the side. Janczyk, who collected domestic championship honours with his club ahead of the U-19 European Championship, fired a hat-trick in the 4-1 group stage victory over Belgium, and posed a constant threat in front of goal in his side's other fixtures. In Poland, Janczyk is already attracting comparisons with the legendary Zbigniew Boniek. The speedy and technically able goal-getter was called into the senior national squad by then head coach Pawel Janas in March 2006 for a friendly against Saudi Arabia, but was prevented from appearing by injury. Other pivotal figures include Janczyk's strike partner Kamil Król, defender Jaroslaw Fojut and keeper Przemyslaw Tyton.

Record

  • Poland reached the semi-finals of the FIFA World Youth Championship on two occasions: Japan 1979 and Mexico 1983.

  • Qualifying for the FIFA World Youth Championship Australia 1981, the Poles went home after the first round.

Quote
"Qualifying for the World Cup in Canada is a real consolation for missing out on the European semi-finals. This was our minimum target. We've come away from the tournament with a lot of positives, but most of all, my players have gained valuable experience." (Poland coach Michal Globisz after qualifying for Canada 2007)