Wojciech Szczesny believes the Poland side going into Euro 2012 is the strongest the country has seen in years.
'We have world-class players', claims Arsenal goalkeeper
Wojciech Szczesny believes the Poland side going into Euro 2012 is the strongest the country has seen in years.
The co-hosts - who have only featured once at the European Championships - face Russia, Czech Republic and Greece in Group A and play the latter in their opener on Friday.
And despite Poland failing to progress past the group stage in 2008, the 22-year-old insists Franciszek Smuda's side are capable of causing a surprise this summer.
Szczesny said: "I think Poland have a chance of doing well. The atmosphere around the national team has changed a bit and people have realised we have world-class players.
"The three players from Borussia Dortmund are as good in their positions as anyone in Europe - Lukasz Piszczek is a right-back and I'd easily put him in the top three in Europe.
"Jakub Blasczykowski, the skipper, always steps up for the national team while Robert Lewandowski is just a natural goalscorer.
"We've got plenty of others who can make an impact too - Ludovic Obraniak in midfield is a fantastic player and we have some solid defenders.
"It's all there for us to go and have a successful tournament - I think it's the strongest Poland team the fans have seen for years so hopefully we won't let them down."
Pressure
Arsene Wenger, Szczesny's club boss at Arsenal, feels the biggest challenge for Poland will come with the pressure of playing in front of their own fans as Europe watches on.
"It is a massive occasion for Poland, and a massive pressure," he told Arsenal's
official club website.
"It is always difficult at home until you have reached your basic target, which means to get out of the group.
"It is a massive pressure and sometimes it is a little bit of a handicap. It is a great opportunity for them to show that Polish football is doing extremely well.
"For them it is a tough group - it is not the toughest, but it is still tough for them."
While admitting the Greece opener is not an obvious showpiece game to start with, Wenger believes the co-hosts must view it as a chance to kick-off with a win.
"It is not the most romantic fixture, but it is a good opportunity for Poland to make a good start," he added.
"They have some [good] players, like Robert Lewandowski up front who is doing extremely well.
"For them, that may be the biggest pressure game as it is an opportunity for them. They know that with Russia and Czech behind, it is a game they cannot miss.
"You do not expect the most spectacular game, but if Poland manage to win even 1-0 they have a good chance to go through."
