Dutch football club NAC Breda have paid tribute to the Polish troops that liberated their city from Nazi occupation by featuring the names of the fallen on the team’s new strip.
Revealed at a press conference yesterday, the kit has been released to coincide with the 80th anniversary of Breda’s liberation by troops led by General Stanisław Maczek.
Announcing the launch on their website, the top-flight side wrote: “On October 29, 1944, the First Polish Armored Division, led by General Maczek, liberated our beautiful city of Breda. Now, 80 years later, we honor these heroic fighters who never gave up and always kept going.”
They added: “The 40 fighters who gave their lives during the liberation of Breda, so that we can lead ours, are honored on our home shirt this season.”
Traditionally, the club have played in yellow shirts with a diagonal black stripe running from top to bottom. This season, that stripe will tout the names of the combatants who died in action. The back of the shirt, meanwhile, is to come embossed with a discreet red-and-white badge bearing the words: “NAC Breda 1944-2024 Dziękuje.”
The white away strip has also been designed to honor Maczek’s soldiers and features an image of them marching through the city’s main square. “On this shirt,” write the club, “the fighters are literally given a face.”
Designed by Myrthe Koppelaar and created in collaboration with the Maczek Memorial Breda, the release of the shirt has been met with enthusiasm by the club’s fans. “Beautiful, goosebumps,” wrote one on Facebook. “Deep respect to these heroes,” wrote another.
Previously, NAC’s fans have rallied to create stunning matchday flag drops to celebrate Maczek’s heroes.
Formed in Scotland as part of the Polish I Corps, the First Polish Armored Division was commanded by General Maczek, Poland’s premier mechanized tactician. Transferred to Normany not long after the D-Day landings in 1944, the unit played a crucial role in closing the Falaise Pocket, thereby trapping several German divisions.
Arguably, however, it is for their role in the liberation of Breda that they remain best-known. Seizing the city within hours, no civilians died during Maczek’s capture of the city. Later working as a barman in Edinburgh, Maczek died in 1994 and was buried in Breda’s Polish cemetery alongside some of his soldiers.
Announcing the launch on their website, the top-flight side wrote: “On October 29, 1944, the First Polish Armored Division, led by General Maczek, liberated our beautiful city of Breda. Now, 80 years later, we honor these heroic fighters who never gave up and always kept going.”
They added: “The 40 fighters who gave their lives during the liberation of Breda, so that we can lead ours, are honored on our home shirt this season.”
Traditionally, the club have played in yellow shirts with a diagonal black stripe running from top to bottom. This season, that stripe will tout the names of the combatants who died in action. The back of the shirt, meanwhile, is to come embossed with a discreet red-and-white badge bearing the words: “NAC Breda 1944-2024 Dziękuje.”
The white away strip has also been designed to honor Maczek’s soldiers and features an image of them marching through the city’s main square. “On this shirt,” write the club, “the fighters are literally given a face.”
Designed by Myrthe Koppelaar and created in collaboration with the Maczek Memorial Breda, the release of the shirt has been met with enthusiasm by the club’s fans. “Beautiful, goosebumps,” wrote one on Facebook. “Deep respect to these heroes,” wrote another.
On social media, Polish supporters have also been quick to heap praise on the club, with several inquiring if the shirts could be shipped to Poland. Among the hundreds of messages that have now appeared on the club’s platforms, one Polish fan wrote: “This is simply amazing. Thank you for remembering these Polish heroes. You have shown regularly in the past that Breda remembers. You’ve gained a new fan.”✨ 𝘋𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘴 𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘵#NACpraat pic.twitter.com/5arX9e0LAd
— NAC Breda 💛🖤 (@NACnl) June 27, 2024
Previously, NAC’s fans have rallied to create stunning matchday flag drops to celebrate Maczek’s heroes.
Formed in Scotland as part of the Polish I Corps, the First Polish Armored Division was commanded by General Maczek, Poland’s premier mechanized tactician. Transferred to Normany not long after the D-Day landings in 1944, the unit played a crucial role in closing the Falaise Pocket, thereby trapping several German divisions.
Known by the Germans as ‘the black devils’, Maczek’s troops soon carved a reputation for their courage and willingness to fight. Liberating a string of towns, Saint-Omer, Ypres, Tielt, and Ghent were among those that owed their freedom to the First Polish Armored.✨ 𝘋𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘵#NACpraat pic.twitter.com/gfvzYiZcEI
— NAC Breda 💛🖤 (@NACnl) June 27, 2024
Arguably, however, it is for their role in the liberation of Breda that they remain best-known. Seizing the city within hours, no civilians died during Maczek’s capture of the city. Later working as a barman in Edinburgh, Maczek died in 1994 and was buried in Breda’s Polish cemetery alongside some of his soldiers.
Source: NAC Breda
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