WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The grassroots Warsaw Soccer Club, founded by fans more than a decade ago to resist an aggressive nationalist stadium culture, is hoping to find new relevance in Poland — a country whose president has not denied a past of taking personal part in fights between soccer fans.
AKS Zły, short for Alternatywny Klub Sportowy Zły (Alternative Sports Club Evil), was founded in 2015 by supporters of Warsaw’s main clubs Legia and Polonia. They decided to take a firm stand against the hostile acts they encountered in the stands and around the stadium during the Poland match.
The club, which has men’s and women’s teams, remains fan-owned and democratically run.
“We decided to create a different club, where all people feel comfortable and welcome, regardless of their sexual orientation, race or nationality,” AKS Zły coordinator Jan Giubecki told The Associated Press.
He said Poland’s fan culture “has moved sharply to the right, and openly hateful slogans have become common”.
president Karol NawrockiHe was elected last year with support from the nationalist conservative party Law and Justice. He is known for his long-standing loyalty to northern city club Lechia Gdańsk, and has attended their matches since his appointment.
Following reports during the campaign that Navrocki had taken part in street brawls between soccer fans, Navrocki said he had been involved in many “noble” conflicts in his life.
Mr. Navrocki’s presidency may strengthen the kind of fan culture that AKS Zwee was created to oppose, but it could actually have the opposite effect, Mr. Giubecchi said.
“Maybe more fans will come to the stadium again,” he said with a smile.
Local ties
Jurisz Wrzosek, owner of Offside Bar in Warsaw’s Praga district and one of the club’s founders, can be seen selling tickets at the stadium entrance.
He said he was a lifelong fan of Legia Warsaw, but was eventually kicked out of the more radical section because he refused to sing a chant greeting people in prison. During the same period, his friends who supported Legia’s rival Polonia were marginalized for similar reasons. They decided to form their own club together.
“Because you have to support someone,” Urzosek said.
His bar is not only a meeting place for AKS Zwi fans, but also a venue where the club occasionally hosts social events aimed at commemorating an aspect of the local history of the Praga area. In March, we co-hosted an event honoring Stefan Okrzeja, a socialist activist who fought for Polish independence in the early 20th century.
“It bothers me that in Poland, which has a great history of left-wing and left-wing values, there is not a single club that is democratic and does not impose its own fan culture,” Urzosek said.
Competitors are also welcome
In a recent Polish second-division women’s match, AKS Zły faced a strong side from Słupka, but the fans in Praga’s modest stadium were undaunted.
They welcomed the visitors and sang songs to the rhythm of drums encouraging their side to score. Complaints against the referees were kept to a minimum and courteous.
“When a fan says he is the 12th player, it is not just empty words, because it really helps and motivates him to contribute more,” former AKS Zwi player and current supporter Eliza Gorska Tran told The Associated Press.
Gorska Tran, 37, who attended the match with his wife and two young children, helped run the club after his playing days and stressed the importance of the supportive community that has been created around the club.
AKS Zły welcomes LGBTQ+ and immigrant players. The club has always invested equally in its men’s and women’s teams. And in academies for children, wealthy parents help cover the costs of poorer parents.
Gorska Tran said that in Scotland, where same-sex marriage is legal unlike Poland, a fan held a wedding ceremony at the stadium after she and her partner got married.
“I also remember my last game before I got pregnant. It was an unforgettable experience,” she said. “Smoke bombs containing rainbow-colored smoke went up on the soccer field.”
Alisha Cichonska, who is in her seventh season playing for AKS Zwi, said she joined the club because she had heard about the inclusive community built around it.
“Football should unite us all, not divide us, because we already have enough of that in society,” she said.
