NAC Breda honours Polish liberators at Rat Verlegh Stadion

NAC Breda used their home match against Heracles Almelo on 23 October to commemorate the 82nd anniversary of Breda’s liberation by the First Polish Armoured Division. Polish flags were displayed throughout the Rat Verlegh Stadion, while many supporters carried a special liberation flag created for the 80th anniversary in 2024.

The club welcomed a large Polish delegation, including Jakub Stefaniak, secretary of state and deputy head of the Chancellery. A day after the game, Polish runners following General Stanisław Maczek’s wartime route from Normandy to Wilhelmshaven also visited the stadium and the Maczek Memorial. The group included Piotr Pątko, grandson of Polish liberator Stanisław Pątko.

NAC supporter liaison officer Gijs Kluft said the connection between the club, the city and Poland is rooted in Breda’s identity. The club highlighted Maczek’s decision to liberate Breda with his soldiers on 29 October 1944 rather than flattening the city through bombardment, helping preserve its historic centre.

The latest ceremony continued a series of large supporter tributes. In 2019, fans unveiled a banner measuring roughly 60 by 24 metres with the Polish word “Dzięki” — “thank you” — formed from the names of about 300 fallen Polish servicemen. For the 2024 commemoration, a 106-by-21-metre display reading “Pamiętamy”, meaning “Lest we forget”, incorporated historical images of the liberators. NAC says these tributes reflect an enduring bond between Breda and Poland.