Star striker Robert Lewandowski says he'll no longer play for Poland while Michal Probierz is coach
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Robert Lewandowski will no longer play for Poland while Michał Probierz remains head coach, the Barcelona striker said.
The 36-year-old Poland captain, who has played a record 158 games for his country and is the leading scorer with 85 goals, cited tiredness from a La Liga title-winning season with Barcelona for pulling out of last Friday's 2-0 friendly win over Moldova and Tuesday's World Cup qualifier against Finland.
Probierz subsequently named Inter Milan midfielder Piotr Zieliński as the new captain.
The Polish soccer association said: 'Piotr Zieliński has been named the new captain of the national team by head coach Michał Probierz. The coach personally informed Robert Lewandowski, the entire team and the coaching staff of his decision.'
Lewandowski replied with a post on X: 'Taking into account the circumstances and the loss of trust in the head coach of the Polish national team, I have decided to step down from playing for the national team for as long as he remains in charge. I hope I will still have the chance to play again for the best fans in the world.'
Lewandowski suffered an injury to his left thigh on April 19 in a La Liga match against Celta Vigo and was sidelined for two weeks. He missed four games, including a thrilling 3-3 Champions League semifinal first leg against Inter in Barcelona.
He recovered in time for the second leg and was used as substitute in a 4-3 defeat that sent Inter to the final.
Poland leads World Cup Group G qualifying with two wins from two games.
Thursdays
Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
26 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Borussia Dortmund signs Jobe Bellingham, Real Madrid star Jude's younger brother
DORTMUND, Germany (AP) — The Bellingham name is back at Borussia Dortmund. Jobe Bellingham signed a five-year-deal on Tuesday with the German club where his older brother developed into one of the world's best midfielders before joining Real Madrid in 2023. The younger Bellingham, 19, leaves Sunderland just over two weeks after helping it to win promotion back to the Premier League through the playoff final. He reportedly turned down an offer from Eintracht Frankfurt. Bellingham is eligible for Dortmund's opening group-stage games this month at the Club World Cup in the United States. He will wear No. 77 at the tournament, Dortmund said. Dortmund starts against Brazil's Fluminense on June 17 followed by Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa on June 21 and South Korea's Ulsan HD four days after that. Following in his brother's footsteps Just like Jude, Jobe Bellingham is a central midfielder who likes to get forward and support attacks. Jobe has followed in his brother's footsteps by coming through the Birmingham City academy and making his senior debut at the age of 16 in 2022. He's also played for England Under-21s. There are a couple of differences between the Bellinghams, too. Jobe is two years older than Jude was when he signed for Dortmund in 2020, and he also has experience of playing a center-forward role in a handful of games for Sunderland. His performances for Sunderland in the second-division Championship this season saw Bellingham named the league's young player of the year in April and named in its team of the season. Bellingham joins a Dortmund team which narrowly secured Champions League qualification for next season by rising to fourth place on the final day of the Bundesliga. ___ AP soccer:
Winnipeg Free Press
26 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Juventus keeps faith in Tudor as coach and PSG's Kolo Muani staying for Club World Cup
TURIN, Italy (AP) — Juventus coach Igor Tudor is to stay in charge next season and French forward Randal Kolo Muani will play at the Club World Cup, the club's new general manager Damien Comolli said on Tuesday. Comolli, who took over at Juventus only this month, said talks with Tudor reached a positive conclusion after the Croatian coach previously voiced his displeasure with his status. Tudor guided Juventus to fourth place and the final Champions League spot after five wins in nine games in Serie A, but he was clearly unhappy with reports suggesting he would remain in charge only for the Club World Cup. 'Tudor will be our coach for the next season and not only for the Club World Cup,' said Comolli in his first press conference on Tuesday. Comolli, who is French, said he was very impressed by the intensity of Tudor's team when he first saw him in charge of Marseille in the 2022-23 season. Tudor, who played for Juventus from 1998-2007 also coached Udinese, Hellas Verona, and Lazio before taking over at Juventus from the unpopular Thiago Motta in March. 'What impressed me most was the resilience of his team, the physical and mental endurance of those players,' Comolli said of Tudor. Comolli said he reached an agreement for Kolo Muani's loan from Paris Saint-Germain to be extended for the Club World Cup while negotiations continue to extend the loan beyond the month-long competition starting in Miami on Saturday. Comolli said Kolo Muani, who scored eight goals in 18 games after joining Juventus in January, 'expressed his desire to continue his adventure in black and white.' Comolli was appointed on June 1, when Juventus also announced former club favorite Giorgio Chiellini was returning for a management position. 'He will have a strategic role. It will not only be a role focused on the field. He will also act outside,' Comolli said of Chiellini. 'He will be a key figure in the commercial field as well.' Comolli also said the club was looking for a new sporting director to take over from Cristiano Giuntoli and a new technical director. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. 'We want to take the time to choose the right people for these two key positions,' Comolli said. 'Having two distinct figures becomes very important because modern football is becoming increasingly global and the demands are increasing.' The 53-year-old Comolli has a wealth of experience after stints at Monaco, Arsenal, Saint-Étienne, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, Fenerbahçe, and Toulouse. Juventus begins its Club World Cup against Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates, then faces Moroccan team Wydad Casablanca and Manchester City in Group G. ___ AP soccer:
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Ngidi beats Paterson to South Africa's third seamer spot in WTC Final
LONDON (AP) — Lungi Ngidi's experience gave him the edge over Dane Paterson as South Africa's third seamer for the World Test Championship final against Australia at Lord's. Ngidi hasn't played a test since August but 19 tests and 55 wickets, including Joe Root's at Lord's in 2022, put him in the pacers lineup with Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen when the team was named on Tuesday, a day before the final. Paterson, more deceptive than fast, earned five-fors in his last two tests against Sri Lanka and Pakistan in December and played at Lord's three times in the last two months for Middlesex in the English County Championship second division but that wasn't enough. 'Probably one of the tougher decisions that has been made. We see what Dane Paterson did for us to the end of last season,' captain Temba Bavuma said. 'But it was more from a tactical point of view. Probably a little bit more pace from Lungi, guess he's a bit taller as well (1.93 meters to 1.75). Lungi also has a better record, not taking away anything from Patto. But I think he (Ngidi) will complement that bowling attack a little more. We have a guy like (Wiaan) Mulder, who can give us something similar like Patto.' Mulder was chosen to bat at No. 3 ahead of Tony de Zorzi, who has more runs but hasn't bowled in a test. Mulder's medium pace has taken 30 wickets in 18 matches. 'It's about giving him a lot more confidence, keep backing him and just allowing him to do what he does best,' Bavuma said of Mulder. 'He has an opportunity in a pressure situation, but I think he can take comfort from the fact that the guys are backing him. We just want him to play his game.' ___ South Africa: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Temba Bavuma (captain), Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham, Kyle Verrynne, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi ___ AP cricket:
