Warsaw greets Poland's fallen heroes

Poland had planned to meet up with their fans in Warsaw at the quarter-finals, but following their 1-0 defeat against the Czech Republic on Saturday they came to the capital's fan zone today to pay tribute to their supporters.

The team were clearly crestfallen following their early exit from UEFA EURO 2012, with captain Jakub Błaszczykowski saying: "We realise that we could and should have done more. We came here to thank you for the great support that you gave us. Your faith gave us a lot of energy. A very big word of thanks for the fact that you were always with us. Thanks again on behalf of the team and coaching staff."

Warsaw-born striker Robert Lewandowski added: "I will keep this short. Thanks for everything. Stick with us. Remember that we will be starting our 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign soon. With your help, we'll do our best, and will certainly be a better side."

The players were visibly moved as the giant screens in the fan zone showed images of hundreds of thousands of Polish fans getting behind them during the tournament, and that support continued on their visit, with their arrival greeted by chants of "Thank you, thank you", "We are with you, Poland, we are with you" and "Poland, white and red".

The players came to the barriers at the front of the stage to sign autographs and meet fans, with Lewandowski, Błaszczykowski and the nation's new golden boy, PSV Eindhoven goalkeeper Przemysław Tytoń, proving to be the big draws. The players are set to have a final meal together tonight before heading to their various homes and holidays on Monday.