Fuente: © UEFA (English)
http://www.uefa.com/

FOOTBALL EUROPE: Wroclaw move ends Groclin fairytale

/noticias.info/ Groclin Grodzisk Wielkopolski will be merged with second division Śląsk Wrocław next season despite some great recent league results in Poland.

Two wins
With the long winter break coming to an end in February, Groclin kicked off the new year in some style, beating second-placed Legia Warszawa 1-0 at home, a result that further secured Wisła Kraków's grip on top spot in the Ekstraklasa. They then underlined their good form with a 4-0 win at last season's runners-up GKS Bełchatów on 1 March and are third in the table.

Merger plan
However, even if they do enough to earn a European place next season, fans in the club's home town of Grodzisk Wielkopolski are unlikely to see Groclin in action next season unless they are prepared to travel. The club are preparing to abandon their 4,500-capacity home stadium from 2008/09 as they are to merge with 1977 Polish champions Śląsk Wrocław.

New club
Groclin owner Zbigniew Drzymała and Rafał Dutkiewicz, the mayor of Wroclaw, announced their decision this week with a view to creating a new club which could challenge in Europe and hopefully fill the new stadium being built in Wroclaw to host games at UEFA EURO 2012™, which Poland is set to co-host with neighbours Ukraine.

Next step
Groclin's fairytale progress into European competition saw them beat the likes of Manchester City FC and Hertha BSC Berlin in the 2003/04 UEFA Cup, but in order to make the next step up the ladder, they have been moved to the fourth largest city in Poland, where it is hoped that the 600,000 plus local inhabitants will help make them great.

EURO stadium
"The team will be moving to Wrocław and I expect the players of both clubs to fight for places in the new team," said Drzymała, who will keep 20 per cent of the shares in the new club with the remaining 80 per cent belonging to the local authorities in their new home. Work on the stadium which will house them is due to start this year.

Massive crowd
Elswhere in Poland, Wisła's four points from their first two league games of 2008 has taken them eleven points clear of second-placed Legia, while KS Ruch Chorzów's recent 3-2 derby win against Górnik Zabrze at the Silesia Stadium – another UEFA EURO 2012™ venue – brought thrills and a massive 42,000 crowd, evidence of Poland's ongoing passion for football. notas_de_prensa_archivo