Poland proud of Municipal Stadium Wroclaw

Poland may have been defeated 2-0 by Italy in Friday night's friendly encounter in Wroclaw, but for a sell-out crowd and the players concerned it was an evening to savour as it marked the inaugural international match at the new Municipal Stadium.

"It is a really nice ground," said UEFA EURO 2012 ambassador Zbigniew Boniek. "When I look at it I can't help but regret that back in my day we had to play in stadiums that looked like chicken coops. What a shame it is my playing career is over."

Located in the north-westerly Maslice area of Wroclaw, the magnificent 42,771-capacity arena, which will be reduced to 40,000 for UEFA EURO 2012, was developed by JSK Architekci and draws favourable comparisons with the Cape Town Stadium constructed for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

"I not only like this place, but I feel very comfortable here," said Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. "In June, during the European Championship, everything will be perfect."

Located close to the city bypass, the ground has excellent links to the airport, but during next summer's tournament it will be just as easy to reach the stadium from the city centre via tram and train lines.

The Municipal Stadium, which was two years in the making and officially opened in September, is the home of WKS Śląsk Wrocław, the 1977 Polish champions and last season's runners-up. The seats are consequently green and white, in the club colours of the Ekstraklasa leaders who played their first official match on 28 October when Śląsk overcame KS Lechia Gdańsk 1-0.

"We have a fantastic ground in Wroclaw, just like those in Gdansk and Poznan," said Poland left-back Jakub Wawrzyniak. "I think the fans who come to Poland next year will remember them for years, and I also believe our stadium will be lucky for us during UEFA EURO 2012 as well."

"The stadium is beautiful; we can be really proud to have such a ground in our country," added captain Jakub Błaszczykowski. The fourth Polish venue for next summer's tournament, Warsaw's National Stadium, will be officially opened in December and Poland are expected to anoint it with an inaugural game against Portugal in February 2012.