Euro 2012: Did Press Hype Cause Violence in Poland?

June 13, 2012 from Russia Today

Moscow-based broadcaster Russia Today analyzes yesterday's violence between Russian and Polish football fans at Euro 2012. Poland's press, politicians, and officials have condemned the behavior of hooligans in Warsaw who apparently attacked Russian fans before the two countries' soccer showdown. Violence continued after the match, too, with Poland's ambassador to Russia saying Polish hooligans are to blame for the turmoil that resulted in multiple injuries. But was it press hype in Poland focussing on the sometimes bloody history between the two nations that helped whip up violent anti-Russian sentiment?

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Poland-Russia relations

Poland–Russia relations have a long history, dating to the late Middle Ages, when the Kingdom of Poland and Grand Duchy of Muscovy struggled over control of their borderlands. Over centuries, there have been several Polish-Russian wars, with Poland once occupying Moscow and la... Explore this topic

UEFA Euro 2012

The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2012, was the 14th European Championship for national football teams organised by UEFA. The final tournament was hosted for the first time by Poland and Ukraine, between 8 June and 1 July 2012, after th... Explore this topic

Football hooliganism

Football hooliganism refers to what is widely considered unruly, violent, and destructive behaviour by overzealous football fans. Actions such as brawling, vandalism and intimidation are enacted by association football club fans participating in football hooliganism. A footbal... Explore this topic

Football hooliganism in Poland

Football hooliganism in Poland first developed as a recognised phenomenon in the 1970s, and has continued since then with numerous recognised hooligan firms and large-scale fights. Until 1997, the number of hooligan- related incidents steadily rose in Poland. The problem of ho... Explore this topic

Russia

Russia or, also officially known as the Russian Federation, is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects. From northwest to southeast, Russia shares land borders with Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania an... Explore this topic

Poland

Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe, bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, and Lithuania to the north. The... Explore this topic

Poland national football team

The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland. Poland's home ground is National Stadium in Warsaw and their current head coach is Waldemar Fornalik. Th... Explore this topic

Russia national football team

The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union, the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium, and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg. Russia... Explore this topic

Russophobia

Russophobia or Anti-Russian sentiment refers to a diverse spectrum of negative prejudices, dislikes or fears of Russia, Russians, or Russian culture. There exists a wide variety of mass culture clichés about Russia and Russians. Many of these developed during the Cold War, and... Explore this topic

Media of Poland

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Also See

Poland-Russia relations

UEFA Euro 2012

Football hooliganism

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Euro 2012: Russian and Polish Hooligans Clash

Associated Press | Jun 12

Russian and Polish hooligans, some masked, clashed during the build-up to the two countries' Euro 2012 soccer match in Warsaw. An Associated Press ...