Lewandowski to boycott national team under current coach
The 36-year-old has played 158 times for Poland, scoring 85 goals, but earlier in the day was replaced as team captain by Piotr Zielinski.
"Taking into account the circumstances and a loss of trust in the coach, I have decided to resign from playing for the Poland national team for as long as he remains in charge," Lewandowski said on X.
But the former Bayern Munich centre-forward left the door open for a return.
"I hope I will still have another chance to play again for the best fans in the world," he said.
Probierz has been Poland coach since 2023, and led them to the Euro 2024 finals where they failed to win a game and were eliminated in the group stage.
Earlier on Sunday, the Polish Football Association announced on its website the coach's decision to replace Lewandowski as skipper.
"The coach has personally informed Robert Lewandowski, the entire team and the technical staff of his decision," the federation said.
Lewandowski is not part of the Polish squad in the current international window. According to Polish news agency PAP, the player asked to be excused to rest.
Lewandoswki has just won a domestic Spanish treble with his club Barcelona.
Poland beat Moldova 2-0 on June 6 in a friendly and faces Finland on Tuesday in Helsinki in Group G of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
With two wins from as many matches, Poland top the group.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
Madrid to host grand prix as Formula One announces 2026 calendar
The 2026 campaign will open for the second successive season in Australia at Melbourne's Albert Park street circuit on March 6-8. The race in the Spanish capital Madrid is on September 11-13 and will bring the curtain down on the European segment of the season. The new Madrid circuit will have both street and non-street sectors. The 24-weekend campaign will again conclude in Abu Dhabi, on December 4-6. Montreal in Canada will now follow Miami in May to cut down on travelling for the teams. The 2026 season promises to look radically different with Cadillac becoming the 11th team on the grid and sweeping new regulations on aerodynamics and power units. Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of motorsport's governing body, the FIA, said: "Next year's FIA Formula One World Championship marks a significant new chapter for our sport. "A new race, new teams, and the arrival of new manufacturers, all ushering in a fresh era of innovation and competition." Formula One 2026 calendar: March 6-8: Melbourne, Australia March 13-15: Shanghai, China March 27-29: Suzuka, Japan April 10-12: Sakhir, Bahrain April 17-19: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia May 1-3: Miami, United States May 22-24: Montreal, Canada June 5-7: Monaco June 12-14: Barcelona, Spain June 26-28: Spielberg, Austria July 3-5: Silverstone, Great Britain July 17-19: Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium July 24-26: Budapest, Hungary August 21-23: Zandvoort, Netherlands Sept 4-6: Monza, Italy Sept 11-13: Madrid, Spain Sept 25-27: Baku, Azerbaijan Oct 9-11 Singapore Oct 23-25 Austin, United States Oct 30-Nov 1: Mexico City, Mexico Nov 6-8 Sao Paulo, Brazil Nov 19-21 Las Vegas, United States Nov 27-29 Lusail, Qatar Dec 4-6: Abu Dhabi, UAE © 2025 AFP
France 24
3 hours ago
- France 24
Manchester City closing in on Rayan Cherki deal from Lyon
In football, Belgium survived a huge scare with a 4-3 win over Wales in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Italy got off the mark in their campaign with a win over Moldova, while Croatia crushed the Czech Republic to maintain their perfect start. In cycling, Jonathan Milan won Stage 2 of the Critérium du Dauphiné while in tennis, the grass-court season has officially begun.
France 24
6 hours ago
- France 24
Auckland City's amateurs take unpaid leave for Club World Cup adventure
In a tournament boasting $1 billion in prize money and featuring superstar multi-millionaire players including Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, the New Zealand side are a striking anomaly. Auckland City are an amateur club, their players balancing football with university studies or full-time jobs as teachers, real estate agents and sales reps. They don't earn a salary for playing. Their first game at the Club World Cup in the United States brings them face-to-face with German champions Bayern Munich and their prolific England striker Harry Kane. Benfica and Boca Juniors, two other storied heavyweights, come next. Auckland City striker Angus Kilkolly cannot wait. "It's probably our dream group," he told AFP by telephone as he made his way to training from his day job in sales. "For us to be able to experience playing against those teams is a dream for us. To be actually on the same pitch is a little bit crazy." The 13-time Oceania Champions League winners have been an almost constant presence at the Club World Cup since 2006. The Navy Blues finished third of seven sides at the 2014 edition, beaten by Argentina's San Lorenzo in extra time in the semi-finals. The tournament this time is a different beast after FIFA pumped in huge resources and made it a 32-team competition that includes Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City and Inter Milan. After-game drinks Kilkolly describes Auckland City as "a family club where everyone's welcome, you know everyone, you see the same people at every game". Their picturesque Kiwitea Street ground is nestled in a residential area in New Zealand's biggest city and matches typically take place in front of crowds of between 200 and 2,000, Kilkolly said. "We've got a nice boutique club room and everybody enjoys a drink after the game," said the 29-year-old, who averages a goal every other game in his nearly 140 appearances for the club. Auckland City are currently second, a point behind leaders Birkenhead United AFC in the amateur 12-team Northern League. So against the highest level of opposition they have ever faced, what would represent success against Bayern and the rest? "If we can leave there and say, 'we played our style, we've done our best', I think that's a positive outlook," said Kilkolly. "If we leave there with regrets, going 'we didn't do all we could', that would be a sour feeling." He says the team will stick to the club's "DNA" of attractive possession-based football and playing out from the back. "We don't concede a lot of goals in New Zealand so obviously we're aiming not to concede too many goals at the Club World Cup as well," he said. Unpaid leave Kilkolly's typical week day is a busy one and he has not taken a proper holiday for three or four years because football eats up all his leave days. A manager in sales for a power tools firm, he is in the office at 7:30 am, does a day's work, trains three or four times a week, home by 9:00 pm, off to bed, repeat. He does not receive a wage for playing football. Rather, there is a cap of 150 New Zealand dollars (US$90) a week for amateur footballers in the country covering basic expenses such as gym membership. The Auckland City players will be in the United States for nearly a month -- thankfully Kilkolly's boss is understanding and likes football. "It's not easy, it's four weeks' leave, but I don't have four weeks' annual leave so there's unpaid leave going there," Kilkolly said. "But it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Playing at the World Cup gives us the ability to compete on a world stage and have that feeling of being a professional footballer, without being one." As a forward, Kilkolly will have eyes on Kane's number nine jersey after their game at the 26,000-capacity TQL Stadium in Cincinnati. "I think he earns more in a week than I earn in a year working," he said with a laugh.
