Wokół mitu „meczu na wodzie”. Polityczny wymiar występu polskich piłkarzy na Mistrzostwach Świata w 1974 roku

The match between the national teams of Poland and the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) during the 1974 FIFA World Cup organised in Frankfurt am Main, is often called the “Water Battle of Frankfurt” and plays a significant role in the collective imagination of Poles, in their historical memory. The only event comparable to it is the draw scored by the Polish footballers in the game with England at the Wembley stadium in October 1973, which led to the first Polish advance to the World Cup since 1938, namely to the 1974 contest organised in West Germany. The legend of the “victorious draw” had become a myth only in terms of sport, while the Frankfurt game also carried political connotations. The latter was strongly connected to the political context of the Polish performance at the 1974 FIFA World Cup, created by the communist government of that time. The success achieved by Kazimierz Górski’s team was politically taken advantage of by the environment of the I Secretary of the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers Party, Edward Gierek. This was done on the one hand to implement a crucial domestic propaganda project, but on the other hand to enhance the pursuit of current political goals in relations with the FRG.