Lewandowski accuses Probierz of “betrayal” and announces his departure from the Polish national team
Poland’s all-time leading scorer, Robert Lewandowski, has expressed his disappointment and feeling of “betrayal” towards the national team coach, Michał Probierz, following a series of events that have led him to make the decision to distance himself from the national team.
The announcement, made on Sunday, surprised many: Lewandowski will not play for Poland while Probierz remains in charge.
The situation was triggered after the decision to strip Lewandowski of the captaincy, a fact that, according to the Barcelona striker, was the way in which what hurt him most was handled.
“I received a surprise call from Probierz with the information that he had decided to take the armband away from me,” Lewandowski stated in an interview.
Robert Lewandowski
Lewandowski, who has been captain for 11 years and has played for the national team for 17, lamented the way the decision was communicated. “Everything was communicated by phone. It really shouldn’t be like that. The coach betrayed my trust,” he added.
Robert Lewandowski has announced that he will not play for the Polish national team while coach Michał Probierz is in charge.
Lewandowski’s decision comes after criticism in the Polish media for not being available for the matches against Moldova and Finland this month, due to “physical and mental fatigue” after a long season with Barça and a recent hamstring injury.
As a result, Piotr Zieliński was named captain on Sunday. Lewandowski questioned how certain information reached the public domain. “It’s not even about the decision regarding the armband, but about the way it was communicated to me,” Lewandowski added.Lewandowski also revealed that the decision not to attend the training camp was made in agreement with the coach. “I called the coach to ask him what he thought about me resting. He said he supported it and was even thinking about calling me about it.”
The forward, who has one year left on his contract with Barça, pointed out that he might not have distanced himself from the national team if Probierz had handled the situation differently, but feels that it will now be difficult to build bridges.
“In football, confidence is a very important factor. If you want to be successful, you have to pull in the same direction. Sometimes you may not agree with someone, and that’s normal. However, things have happened that will be difficult to forget,” he stated.Poland will face Finland on Tuesday in a World Cup qualifying match. Lewandowski, who has won more matches (158) and scored more goals (85) than anyone in the history of the Polish national team, could miss the tournament if the situation doesn’t change.
“I want to sit down and think about everything calmly. I need to catch my breath. Then I can say more about my thoughts and what comes next. Today there is regret and anger,” he concluded.Probierz, for his part, took over in 2023 and led Poland to the Euro 2024.
Michał Probierz named Piotr Zieliński as the new captain of Poland.
The Polish coach reflected on his decision at a press conference on Monday. “I had a whole day to reflect and make a decision. After this analysis, I decided to change the captain,” said Probierz.
When asked about Lewandowski’s refusal to be called up for more international matches while the coach is in charge, Probierz said: “Robert’s response was that the captain’s armband meant nothing and that little would change for the team.”
Zieliński, Lewandowski’s successor as captain, was reluctant to comment on the Barcelona striker’s decision. “He is an exceptional footballer, there is nothing to discuss about it,” he said. He added that he is open to talking to Lewandowski, but “if that conversation has to happen, it will be after tomorrow’s match.”
