The leadership of Poland's PZPN football federation was suspended by the Polish Olympic Committee, who administer sport in the country.

 

The decision was taken after "signs of numerous violations of the law by federation officials," the newly-appointed administrator, Robert Zawlocki, said.

 

He said: "This mainly concerns the activities of the federation presidency, which has violated its statutes in a continuous and flagrant fashion.

 

"There's legal chaos at the heart of the federation."

 

The decision by the Polish Olympic Committee tribunal was taken at the request of Sports Minister Miroslaw Drzewiecki, the latest in a string of officials who have tried to revolve long-running problems involving football in Poland.

 

Drzewiecki said he had acted because of "a lack of effectiveness in the fight against corruption".

 

UEFA, who announced last Friday that Poland would remain as joint hosts of Euro 2012 with Ukraine despite concerns over the pace of preparations, admitted they were "surprised" by the move.

 

UEFA spokesman William Gaillard said: "We will consult [world governing body] FIFA, it is they who will make the first move.

 

"We are completely surprised at this intrusion of a civil authority in a sporting domain."

 

FIFA recently brierfly suspended Iraq after the Government intervened in the running of the country's football affairs.

 

PZPN chief Michal Listkiewicz - a 55-year-old former international referee who has run the federation since 1999 - too expressed he was "surprised" by the arbitration tribunal's decision and said he was taking legal advice.

 

Drzewiecki said that Listkiewicz would nonetheless stay on as Poland's main figure-head for the organisation for Euro 2012.

 

Gaillard said: "The president Michal Listkiewicz came to give us guarantees, in theory with the blessing of the Government, and when a delegation of the UEFA went to Poland at the beginning of July we saw them together - a sporting capacity and politics.

 

"In light of the organisation of the Euro 2012, it is not good."

 

Zawlocki said Poland aimed to reassure UEFA that tonight's decision would not hurt the 2012 tournament.

 

He said: "We have sent a letter to UEFA head Michel Platini to assure him that preparations for Euro 2012 will go ahead unhindered and that nothing will change on this front."

 

But Scotland are among the countries who have positioned themselves at the head of the queue ready to step in to stage Euro 2012 if UEFA decide that a late change is necessary.