Poland only plays his second game against Sweden at an European Championship. If it goes to trainer Nina Patalon, the tournament in Switzerland is only an intermediate step in the development of women’s football in her country.
Nina Patalon apparently cannot upset anything. On Monday, she asked herself the questions of journalists from her home country very relaxed. The very many questions that make it clear that women’s football in Poland is more and more interested. Two million viewers have followed the game against Germany (0: 2) on television. A record rate for a female team sport.
And that is directly related to the person Nina Patalon. Since she took over as a national coach in March 2021, she has been going uphill with her sport. And with herself too. The first female head coach of the Polish national team, first qualification for a European Football Championship by the Play-Off victory against Austria, trainer of the year in Poland.
This European Championship is not the end for us. It is only the beginning for Poland.
After the defeat against the DFB women, Patalon and her team are already “for everything or nothing” on Tuesday against Sweden (9 p.m., in the first and in the live stream). In the event of a defeat, the Polishers, provided a victory of the DFB selection against Denmark before (6 p.m.), are at risk of the early end after the group phase.
Poland represents the youngest team of the European Championship
But Patalon says: “No matter how it goes, this European Championship is not the end for us. It is only the beginning for Poland.” A statement as a mirror of her philosophy. The 39-year-old managed to establish cohesion and mutual support in the team. A mixture of emotions and empathy.
This is the only way to manage the Poles who present the youngest team at this tournament to assert themselves against the experienced nations. It also integrates mental training, breathing techniques and coping with stress into their work – not only with the professionals, but especially at the youth and school level.
Patalon’s goal: make women’s football visible
Patalon himself was withheld as a player to present herself at the highest level. On the one hand, women’s football in Poland was not particularly important at the time (2002 to 2009). She describes the training conditions as “rudimentary”, after all, in 2009 she made it to Belgrade with the Polish U19 national team.
We are the outsiders everywhere, but we have no problem at all
But after no less than seven knee operations, the football career ended. And Patalon decided to take a coaching career. Your goal: to make women’s football visible in your home country. “We are the outsiders everywhere, but we have no problem with it at all,” she says when it comes to making victories. After all, people in Poland have now found sustainable fun in women’s football, which also means that expectations have also increased.
Work on all levels
Although her day also only has 24 hours, it occasionally looks like that at Patalon, so it would be more. She has dedicated herself to this task with everything that is available. Patalon therefore also takes over the entire coordination of women’s football training in the Polish association and is particularly committed to structural programs such as FIFA-sponsored festivals, workshops and talent promotion in 16 provinces to ensure that women’s football in Poland sustainably anchored. She also works as a TV expert and a technical observer at UEFA.
Against the experienced Swedes, your team is again the “underdog”. But what the trainer likes: “We want to show attractive football, appear confidently and drive our status unstoppable.” The result just seems to be irrelevant. The world ranking third Germany has had a lot of struggling with the Polish approach.
Patalons Five-year plan
After the game, the Polish journalists say, something very special was created despite the defeat. So much commitment, so much cohesion, Nina Patalon and her team showed such a high level of commitment to the many Polish fans in St. Gallen, which almost looked like a promise for the further tournament.
“Women’s football is important. In five years it should be number one team sport,” says Patalon before the second group game. The Swedes, sixth place in the FIFA ranking, should be warned.