Struggle to eradicate violence among Polish fans was highlighted when 60 were arrested after clashing with police after a friendly. -File Photo

WARSAW: Polish authorities have ordered three teams – Slask Wroclaw, Zaglebie Lubin and Widzew Lodz – to play upcoming games behind closed doors as part of a crackdown on hooliganism in the Euro 2012 co-host nation.

The move comes after a decision by the Polish football association (PZPN) that visiting teams' fans will be banned from all stadiums for the remainder of the season.

An official in Wroclaw, southwest Poland, said Slask Wroclaw's game with PGE GKS Belchatow on Saturday and Zaglebie Lubin's game with Wisla Krakow on May 25 would take place without fans due to police concerns about safety.

“In making the decision, I was taking into account what happened in Bydgoszcz and the lack of proper reaction from organisers and fans following that match,” Aleksander Marek Skorupa told reporters on Friday.

Police in Bydgoszcz deployed water cannon against fans who invaded the pitch and damaged the stands after Legia Warsaw won the Polish Cup final 5-4 on penalties against Lech Poznan on May 3.

Skorupa said police could not guarantee safety despite the football association's decision to ban visiting fans.

Football hooliganism has become an important political issue ahead of October's parliamentary election after Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a keen football fan, signalled he would take a tougher stance against the hooligans.

Tusk wants to clean up Poland's image, damaged by the violent clashes, before it co-hosts next year's European championship with Ukraine.

Police detained more than 20 hooligans involved in the Bydgoszcz clashes while authorities forced Lech Poznan and Legia Warsaw to play last week's games without fans.