TWO POLAND FANS who became overnight internet stars after invading their national stadium’s waterlogged pitch ahead of a cancelled World Cup qualifier against England will today learn whether they face time behind bars for their antics.
The two men, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, were arrested on Tuesday in Warsaw’s Kazimierz Gorski Stadium after managing to slalom around pursuing stewards amid a deluge.
One of them managed a sliding belly-flop in the water, as fans in the packed 58,000-capacity arena roared him on.
A tongue-in-cheek video of the fans, set to the music of the television series “Baywatch”, had already drawn over 605,000 views on Youtube by Thursday. Supporters has also set up a Facebook group under the jokey banner “Free the Heroes of the National Swimming Pool”.
YouTube: RaDzIo87st
Under Poland’s anti-hooligan legislation, the duo and a third fan who also invaded the pitch could face up to three years in prison, community service or a fine.
Fans and pundits have been questioning why the state-of-the-art stadium’s roof was not closed before the planned match, as the Polish football association and stadium authorities trade blame.
Poland and England went on to draw 1-1 in the rescheduled fixture on Wednesday.