The Italian national team survived a spirited challenge from Poland, escaping with a 21–14 victory at Olympic Stadium in Wrocław, Poland on Saturday in Group C of the 2026–27 IFAF Men’s European Championship. Playing its first international game in eight years, Poland pushed the visitors to the limit before a fourth-quarter touchdown finally secured the win for the Blue Team.
Poland makes its presence felt
The eight-year absence had done little to diminish Poland’s competitive spirit. Playing in front of its home crowd, the Polish squad matched Italy throughout a tense afternoon, taking an early lead, fighting back immediately after halftime and forcing the more experienced visitors to produce a decisive fourth-quarter touchdown. It took a fourth-down pass from Luke Zahradka to Lorenzo Bassi to finally break the hosts’ resistance.
Photo: @Riccardo Foglio
For Brian Michitti’s Italians, it was a winning start to Group C qualifying for the 2027 European Championship. For Jakub Samel’s Poland, it was a reminder that a long absence from the international schedule had not erased the country’s football credentials. The hosts led early, drew level immediately after halftime and entered the final quarter with every opportunity to upset the visitors.
“We want to show the whole European football community that Poland not only is great on the club level but we can also compete with the best teams on the European international level,” Samel said in a pregame interview carried by FIDAF TV. His players gave that ambition some substance.
Early Polish touchdown sets the tone
Italy’s task was complicated by the lack of recent Polish game film. “We need to adjust on the go,” Michitti said before kickoff. The first Polish possession underlined his point. After forcing an Italian punt, the hosts moved downfield with quarterback Mariusz Górecki using his legs and the threat of play-action to keep the defense guessing. Rolling left, he found Hubert Frej in the corner of the end zone for the opening touchdown.
Zahradka answered with a sustained drive, finding Bruno Escobar near the pylon to tie the game before the end of the first quarter. Thereafter, Italy’s biggest problem was turning promising field position into points.
Paolo Lazzaretto’s first interception gave the visitors another opportunity, but a bad snap wrecked a field-goal attempt. Lorenzo Deiana promptly forced and recovered a Górecki fumble, handing the ball back to Italy in Polish territory. Again, the home defense held, stopping Ryan Minniti short on fourth down near the goal line. Italy was doing plenty of work for very little reward.
Italy takes halftime lead
Lazzaretto supplied another chance shortly before halftime, intercepting Górecki for the second time. This time Zahradka dispensed with the prolonged approach, hitting Matteo Mozzanica for a 30-yard touchdown with ten seconds remaining. William Testa’s extra point sent Italy into the break ahead 14–7.
That advantage lasted less than a minute of the second half. Tomasz Burdziński’s kickoff return set Poland up in Italian territory, Kamil Kotlarz broke loose for 37 yards, and Górecki found Kacper Jaszewski for the tying touchdown. The home side needed just two offensive plays to undo Italy’s hard-earned lead.
Another lengthy Italian possession ended in frustration when Minniti lost a fumble close to the Polish end zone. With the score still 14–14, the visitors needed their defense to hold firm once more. It did, forcing a punt that gave Zahradka the ball near midfield early in the fourth quarter.
Photo: @Riccardo Foglio
Fourth-down gamble delivers winning score
Italy worked its way back into scoring position, with Minniti and Tommaso Tenconi contributing on the ground and through the air. When Tenconi was stopped short on third down, Michitti kept the offense out. Zahradka’s play-action pass found Bassi inside for the decisive touchdown with 7:39 remaining. Testa added his third successful conversion.
Poland’s response stalled, with Andrea Poglietelli’s sack helping force a punt. Italy regained possession with 4:38 left and never gave it back. Minniti kept moving the chains, while a third-down completion to the running back delivered a particularly valuable first down as Poland’s chances slipped away.
Zahradka leads efficient Italian offense
Zahradka finished 24 of 38 for 220 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Escobar led Italy with seven catches for 71 yards, Mozzanica added five for 63, and Bassi caught three for 33. Minniti supplied 106 rushing yards on 20 carries. Italy outgained Poland 333–203 and led 23–9 in first downs, although the narrow margin reflected its wasted opportunities near the goal line.
For Poland, the afternoon offered plenty to build on. For Italy, it offered a win and some clear work to do before Hungary visits Milan’s Velodromo Vigorelli on October 24 at 18:00. The Blue Team found a way through, but Poland made sure it had to earn it.
Photo: @Riccardo Foglio
Scoring summary
First quarter
4:42 — Poland: Hubert Frej 26-yard pass from Mariusz Górecki (Filip Twardowski kick), 7-0.
0:27 — Italy: Bruno Escobar 3-yard pass from Luke Zahradka (William Testa kick), 7-7.
Second quarter
0:10 — Italy: Matteo Mozzanica 30-yard pass from Zahradka (Testa kick), 7-14.
Third quarter
11:08 — Poland: Kacper Jaszewski 10-yard pass from Górecki (Twardowski kick), 14-14.
Fourth quarter
7:39 — Italy: Lorenzo Bassi 3-yard pass from Zahradka (Testa kick), 14-21.