Poland's new manager targets Lewandowski return as World Cup qualifiers loom
Urban was named on Wednesday to replace Michal Probierz, who resigned in June following a row over his decision to replace Lewandowski as captain.
Poland sits third in its World Cup qualifying group behind Finland and the Netherlands, and the Barcelona forward is widely seen as vital to its hopes of reaching next year's tournament.
'I'll do everything... so that Robert comes back, because we know what situation Polish football is in,' Urban told reporters on Thursday.
Lewandowski, 36, is Poland's all-time top scorer with 85 goals in 158 appearances.
'As of today, we can't afford not to have Robert in this team,' the new manager added.
Urban acknowledged the challenges faced by Poland, following a 2-1 loss to Finland in June and amid uncertainty surrounding Lewandowski's role.
'Above all, we're talking about this difficult moment not because of the defeat to Finland. We have several problems to solve, including the matter of Robert Lewandowski's resignation,' Urban said.
'All of this needs to be properly sorted out to build a good atmosphere for this team to function. We're aiming for a situation where every player wants to come to the national team and feels good being part of it.'
Poland's next World Cup qualifier is against the Netherlands away on September 4 before it hosts Finland three days later.
Related Topics
Poland /
Robert Lewandowski
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Lovlina Borgohain, Nikhat Zareen Return To Indian Team For World Championships
Last Updated: Nikhat Zareen and Lovlina Borgohain have been named in India's team for World Championships in Liverpool, September 4-14. Star boxer Nikhat Zareen and Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain were on Thursday named in India's team for the World Championships, scheduled to take place in Liverpool in September. The 20-member team was finalised after a week-long assessment at the National Institute of Sports in Patiala. The tournament, to be held from September 4 to 14, will be the first World Championships organised by the new governing body, World Boxing. It will feature competitions in 10 weight classes for men and women, marking the first time male and female boxers will compete in an Olympics-style event for the title of World Boxing Champion. Both Zareen and Borgohain missed the women's nationals in March. The former, a two-time world champion, was injured at the time, while Borgohain wasn't sent by the Assam state unit because of internal federation disputes. Nikhat and Lovlina returned to the national camp by competing in the Elite Women's Boxing Tournament in Hyderabad earlier this month. However, they missed the recent World Cup in Astana. The men's team includes Asian Games bronze medallist Narender Berwal (90+ kg) and two-time World Cup winners Hitesh Gulia (70kg) and Abhinash Jamwal (65kg), among others. Men's: Jadumani Singh Mandengbam (50kg), Pawan Bartwal (55kg), Sachin Siwach jr (60kg), Abhinash Jamwal (65kg), Hitesh Gulia (70kg), Sumit Kundu (75kg), Lakshya Chahar (80kg), Jugnoo Ahlawat (85kg), Harsh Chaudhary (90kg), Narender Berwal (90+ kg) (With PTI Inputs) view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
'Upwards of Rs ...' — Ravi Shastri reveals how much India's cricket stars really earn
Ravi Shastri (Getty Images) NEW DELHI: Former India head coach and World Cup-winning all-rounder Ravi Shastri has lifted the lid on the staggering sums earned by India's cricketing superstars, whose status and popularity are similar to global icons like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo . Speaking on the 'Stick to Cricket' podcast with Michael Vaughan , Shastri didn't hold back when asked how much Indian cricketers make off the field. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! "They earn a lot. They earn a lot through endorsements, for sure," Shastri said, adding, "Upwards of Rs 100 crores. Which would say 10 million pounds." How and why Rishabh Pant's England tour could come to an abrupt end due to toe fracture The revelation left the panel in awe, as Shastri broke down the math: "I would say… you just calculate 100 rupees is a pound. So you work backwards and you calculate upwards of that because someone like MS Dhoni or a Virat Kohli or a Sachin Tendulkar at his pomp, they would do over 15, 20 ads." Poll Do you think Indian cricketers deserve their high earnings from endorsements? Yes, they work hard for it No, it's excessive It depends on their performance He further elaborated on how top Indian players manage their packed schedules: "It's per day. There's no time. They could easily do more because of the amount of cricket being played. So, you know, they'll do an ad for a year and give a day — just one day to shoot. That's all you'll get. And then you play it out as many times as you want." Shastri's comments reflect cricket's unmatched cultural impact in India — comparable to football's status in Brazil or Argentina. Players like Dhoni, Kohli, and Tendulkar enjoy not only nationwide adoration but also global commercial appeal, with brand deals and social media fanbases rivaling those of Messi or Ronaldo. For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
3 hours ago
- First Post
Koneru Humpy braces for 'tough' all-Indian FIDE Women's World Cup final: 'Divya has played tremendously well...'
Koneru Humpy outclassed Chinese top-seed Lei Tingjie in the tie-breaks to win the FIDE Women's World Cup semi-final 5-3 and set up an all-Indian final against Divya Deshmukh, who had defeated Tan Zhongyi on the previous day. read more Koneru Humpy set-up an all-Indian final against Divya Deshmukh at the FIDE Women's World Cup after defeating China's Lei Tingjie in the semi-finals. Image credit: FIDE Koneru Humpy fought back from 2-3 down in the tie-breaks against Lei Tingjie to defeat the Chinese top-seed 5-3 and advance to the final of the FIDE Women's World Cup in Batumi, Georgia on Thursday. Veteran Grandmaster Humpy, in the process, set up a dream all-Indian final against International Master Divya Deshmukh, who had triumphed in the other Sino-Indian semi-final with a 1.5-0.5 victory over Tan Zhongyi on Wednesday. Humpy had found herself in a winning position earlier during the Classical round of the semi-final, and could have clinched victory on Wednesday itself but for a late fightback from GM Lei that resulted in Game 2 ending in a draw. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Lei would then find herself on the verge of victory on the following day, defeating Humpy with white pieces in the third rapid tie-break game (10+10) on Thursday after the first two – with time controls of 15+10 – ended in a draw. The 38-year-old Indian GM, however, bounced back in style to clinch the must-win fourth game in just 39 moves and keep her hopes of reaching the final alive. There was no looking back for the reigning women's rapid world champion thereafter she would go win both blitz tie-breaks (5+3) to complete a 5-3 victory over the 2022 Women's Candidates winner. Humpy vs Divya to decide the World Cup champion Humpy set her sights on the mouth-watering showdown against Divya after beating Lei, and described the all-Indian final as 'one of the happiest moments for chess fans'. 'I think it's one of the happiest moments for the chess fans… but of course as a player tomorrow it will be quite a tough game as well. Divya has played tremendously well in this whole tournament,' Humpy was quoted by as saying after her victory over Lei. Also Read | Divya Deshmukh finally establishes herself among chess' elite with historic run to Women's World Cup final Humpy, however, wasn't entirely impressed with her performance against Lei, adding that she struggled with black pieces against her highly-rated opponent. 'It was a very tough match and she also gave a very good fight. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'I think initially I played quite bad with the black pieces and she always had the advantage. After the loss, it was a very difficult situation, but I was able to come back,' she added. Besides entering the World Cup final, Humpy and Divya have also qualified for the Women's Candidates next year by virtue of being guaranteed a top-three finish in the ongoing tournament. That's at least two Indians battling it out to earn the right to challenge China's Ju Wenjun for the FIDE Women's World Championship. The final gets underway on Saturday and could extend till Monday, 28 July, if the contest goes into the tie-breaks. The all-Chinese third-place playoff between Lei and Tan will be taking place around the same time, with the winner joining the two Indians at the Candidates.
