Beenhakker said sorry to the German people on behalf of his team ahead of Sunday's Euro 2008 clash between the two countries. The Dutchman said the article was an "awful thing" done by "weird and dirty and sick people".

The picture provoked a strong reaction in Germany, but their coach Joachim Loew said he had too many other things to worry about.

"What was in one newspaper is not representative... Polish and German fans were together celebrating the match at the World Cup two years ago," said Loew.

Several Polish papers played on the troubled history between the two neighbours, using images of Loew and skipper Michael Ballack, but Beenhakker said: "I hope I can speak in the name of many Polish people and in the name of the Polish team.

"We want to say that we apologise to the German people for what was on the front page of a certain paper in Poland. It was an awful thing, and we want to totally distance ourselves from these weird and dirty and sick people who think they have to represent Poland this way in relation to Euro 2008."