Poland Condemns Holocaust Banner After Rakow vs Maccabi Haifa Match

The Polish football club Rakow Czestochowa knocked out Israeli Maccabi Haifa in the qualifying for the Conference League. After the match, a banner about the Holocaust has stirred up emotions in Poland. Now it is being condemned by the Israeli embassy in Poland, the Polish Foreign Ministry and the country's president Karol Nawrocki.

» Published: August 15 2025 at 18:26

Poland Condemns Holocaust Banner After Rakow vs Maccabi Haifa Match
Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg/AP/TT

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"Murderers since 1939" was written on the banner that was unfolded in the stands by supporters of the Israeli club Maccabi Haifa.

On Friday, representatives from the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Israeli embassy met to discuss the incident, reports AFP.

"Such words and actions, from whichever side, do not belong in the arena or anywhere else. Never! These shameful events do not reflect the spirit of the majority of Israeli supporters", wrote the Israeli embassy on X after the match.

Poland's newly elected president Karol Nawrocki called the banner "scandalous", and continued on X:

"It offends the memory of Polish citizens who were victims of World War II, among whom there were three million Jews. A stupidity that no words can explain".

The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote after the meeting:

"The Polish-Israeli relations cannot – and will not – be destroyed by extremists".

The European football association Uefa announced on Friday that it has launched an investigation against both clubs after supporters "conveyed messages that are not suitable for sports events".

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