With the board refusing to resign, Tomasz Lipiec, Polish Sports Minister, appointed Andrzej Rusko, chief executive of Poland's top league, as emergency administrator until a new board could be elected.

"There are those who support change in the association and those who do not, but my only legal option was to suspend all of them," Lipiec said, citing the results of an administrative investigation into the association's activities.

Fifa, world football’s governing body, frown upon government interference in the running of domestic football, and have suspended federations in the past who have not followed its statutes and regulations.

"We are in contact with the Polish FA and are aware of the issues there," a Fifa spokesman said Friday.

"We are analysing the situation and there are no further comments for the time being."

Dozens implicated

The Polish Football Association (PZPN) has been under investigation since mid-2005, when prosecutors began looking into match-fixing allegations that have now implicated dozens of referees, club and association officials.

With Poland planning to submit a joint bid with Ukraine to host Euro 2012, association officials have complained that their suspension may harm their chances, and worse still, lead to Fifa banning Poland from international competition.

Members of the 35-strong FA board said they would fight Lipiec's decision.

"He (Lipiec) can't just turn up today, put a pistol against my head and tell me I have to admit to my guilt for something I did not do," said Grzegorz Lato, top scorer at the 1974 World Cup in West Germany when Poland came third.

"We still have an appeal procedure and we will follow it."