TV NEWS.PL's video: Soccer championship kick starts life for homeless Europeans

Soccer players from around Europe came together in Wroclaw on Sunday (July 14) to compete in a tournament with a difference - the International Street Soccer Tournament for Homeless people. Now in its eleventh year, the tournament brings together teams of homeless and formerly homeless football players to play in four-a-side matches across two days, in the hope of winning the first prize trophy. Participants win more than just a trophy - soccer helps bring a fresh outlook on life for the players, many of whom have struggled with addiction or been in prison. Polish player Kamil Gzylek admits he abused drugs and alcohol and took part in robberies as a teenager. Gzylek said he had turned his life around - he now has his own flat, a job and a positive outlook on life - thanks to the work of Wroclaw charity Brother Albert's Aid Society, who organise the contest, and support the homeless, elderly and those in poverty. Tournament organiser Tomasz Sulek said soccer was a form of therapy, teaching players about teamwork, routine and helping them to re-integrate into normal life. Poland were crowned the champions of the 22 teams which took part, much to the delight of the crowd who sang and cheered as the players scored their winning goal. CAPTAIN OF POLISH HOMELESS SOCCER TEAM, KAMIL GZYLEK, SAYING: "I'll tell you this - I think that otherwise (Ed's note, if it was not for the work of Brother Albert's Aid society) I would be in prison, or someone, somewhere could have slaughtered me, killed me - who knows!" "Now, I live with dignity - I am renting myself a flat, I work legally, I am living with my girlfriend, I have a good relationship with my mum, I have a good relationship with my dad; I have a good relationship with my whole family. I think that if I hadn't gone for treatment, if I hadn't thought about my mistakes and hadn't changed, I think that I would would be functioning in the same way - I would be stealing, taking drugs, running around with a machete. And what sort of life would that have been?" HOMELESS SOCCER TEAM PLAYER, AGRON SADICOVIC, SAYING: "I came in Hungary as a refugee because what happened with Kosovo and Serbia before the conflict, so we moved to Hungary, that's why. And so that's how we got in contact with the coach and everything, so I showed up to trainings and I worked hard for it (Ed's note, to play for the team)." TOURNAMENT ORGANISER AND REPRESENTATIVE FROM BROTHER ALBERT'S AID SOCIETY IN WROCLAW, TOMASZ SULEK SAYING: "This ball is a form of support for therapy. It teaches teamwork, routine and many other behaviours which help in everyday life. From our experience, the results show that this (Ed's note, soccer) helps with returning to a brighter side of life." POLISH WOMAN TEAM, ZOSIA, SAYING: “Just my sister started playing football and I was also interested in it”. FOOTBALL REFEREE FROM SCOTLAND, IAIN MC GILL, SAYING: “I can make people happy, sometimes people forgot how to be happy, what is be to be in a team, what is make people happy. Here is so many friends is going on. It is positive experience” HOMLESS MAN FORM WROCLAW, ANDRZEJ GODEK (48 YEARS OLD), SAYING: “I am short times, less than two years homeless. I tried but I'v failed”