Okęcie Airport incident

Okęcie Airport incident.
The Okęcie Airport incident was a dispute between the players and staff of the Poland national football team on 29 November 1980, climaxing at Okęcie Airport (pictured). It occurred at a time when civil resistance was intensifying in communist Poland and led to the suspension of several prominent players and the resignation of the team manager, Ryszard Kulesza. Kulesza had initially angered the team by deciding to prevent a hung-over player, Józef Młynarczyk, from flying with the team, but eventually relented. Polish media attacked the rebellious players over the following days. Another player, Stanisław Terlecki, defied the communist authorities by arranging for the players to meet Pope John Paul II. The Polish Football Association sent Terlecki and others home and imposed various bans. Kulesza resigned in protest over the harshness of the sanctions imposed on the players. Most of the banned players were reinstated within a year, but Terlecki never played for Poland again.