The dispute started over the weekend, when TVN viewers realised that all episodes of the “(L)egend” mini-series, devoted to the club’s history, had been removed from the station’s streaming platform.
“The Management Board of TVN S.A. decided to end cooperation with Legia Warszawa, so the series is not available,” the streaming service wrote on its Facebook profile over the weekend – the first official statement on the matter, and following inquiries by users.
In an official statement published Tuesday evening, TVN confirmed that the decision was taken due to a recent incident during Legia Warszawa’s match with Piast Gliwice.
Fans sitting in the Legia section of the stadium, held up a banner which incited violence against members of the political opposition and media, who have in recent weeks voiced their scorn of the governing Law and Justice (PiS) party.
These included the Committee for the Defence of Democracy (KOD), the Nowoczesna party, one of the most vocal groups in opposition, the liberal Gazeta Wyborcza (GW) daily and journalists Tomasz Lis and Monika Olejnik.
Boos
A group of Legia’s fans unveiled a giant banner reading “KOD, Nowoczesna, GW, Lis, Olejnik and other harlots – for you there will be no boos, but the gallows”.
Earlier in May, fans from both teams booed when Polish President Andrzej Duda was announced ahead of the kick-off of the Polish Cup final.
Against hooliganism
In the statement, TVN said that “the broadcaster does not support and does not want to be associated with promoting violence, aggression, hatred and hooliganism.”
“It also strongly condemns the passive attitude of the club to this reprehensible incident,” the statement read.
Damaging a reputation
On Wednesday morning, the management board of Legia Warszawa issued an official response, saying that the club has not yet received any official notice from TVN.
“In the absence of any explanation by TVN and due to a number of press releases damaging Legia Warszawa’s reputation, triggered by the broadcaster’s statements, the authorities of the club made the decision, effective immediately, to terminate cooperation with the broadcaster.” (ał/rg)