Lewandowski will not play for Poland under current coach after losing captaincy
Robert Lewandowski said he will not play for Poland again under the current manager, shortly after the striker was stripped of the captaincy role on Sunday.
Poland coach Michal Probierz made the decision to replace Lewandowski as national team captain with midfielder Piotr Zielinski.
"By decision of coach Michal Probierz, Piotr Zielinski became the new captain of the Polish national team," a Polish football federation (PZPN) statement said.
"The coach personally informed Robert Lewandowski, the entire team and the training staff of his decision."
Lewandowski's response via social media was swift.
"Considering the circumstances and the loss of trust in the Polish national team coach, I have decided to step back from playing for the Polish national team as long as he remains the coach," Lewandowski said.
"I hope I will have the chance to play again for the best fans in the world."
Lewandowski is not with the current Poland squad, with the Barcelona player citing physical and mental exhaustion after a long season as the reason for his absence.
The 36-year-old is Poland's highest goal scorer with 85 goals for his country in a record 158 appearances, and had held the captaincy since 2014.
Probierz replaced the sacked Fernando Santos as Poland manager in 2023, taking them to Euro 2024 where his side were the first team to be eliminated.
The PZPN said Probierz will respond to questions on the situation in a press conference on Monday.
Poland defeated Moldova 2-0 in a friendly on Friday and are away to Finland in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
2 hours ago
- CNA
Germany building something special, says Nagelsmann after defeat by France
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann said his side are still trying to close the gap on the top teams in the world after their 2-0 Nations League defeat by France on Sunday but he was confident they are building something special. Goals from Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise earned France the victory and third place in the Nations League. Nagelsmann saw improvement in his side from their 2-1 semi-final defeat by Portugal on Wednesday. "If we perform like we did today and don't take a step back against the teams in the World Cup qualifiers, then hopefully, we'll march through and prepare well," he told reporters. "Of course, we're still a few percentage points behind where we want to be, and behind the top teams in the world. We can't tear down the world in a year or two and make up for everything that may not have gone 100 per cent right over several years. "Nevertheless, I sense something in the whole group, both the players and the staff, something special. There's a special touch and a lot of potential still in waiting." Germany, who last won the World Cup in 2014 and have been eliminated in the group stage in the past two editions, are in Group A of Europe's qualifiers for the 2026 tournament in North America. They begin their campaign in September against Slovakia in Bratislava.
Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Straits Times
Lewandowski will not play for Poland under current coach after losing captaincy
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - World Cup - European Qualifiers - Group G - Poland v Malta - Stadion Narodowy, Warsaw, Poland - March 24, 2025 Poland's Robert Lewandowski during the warm up before the match REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/File photo Lewandowski will not play for Poland under current coach after losing captaincy Robert Lewandowski said he will not play for Poland again under the current manager, shortly after the striker was stripped of the captaincy role on Sunday. Poland coach Michal Probierz made the decision to replace Lewandowski as national team captain with midfielder Piotr Zielinski. "By decision of coach Michal Probierz, Piotr Zielinski became the new captain of the Polish national team," a Polish football federation (PZPN) statement said. "The coach personally informed Robert Lewandowski, the entire team and the training staff of his decision." Lewandowski's response via social media was swift. "Considering the circumstances and the loss of trust in the Polish national team coach, I have decided to step back from playing for the Polish national team as long as he remains the coach," Lewandowski said. "I hope I will have the chance to play again for the best fans in the world." Lewandowski is not with the current Poland squad, with the Barcelona player citing physical and mental exhaustion after a long season as the reason for his absence. The 36-year-old is Poland's highest goal scorer with 85 goals for his country in a record 158 appearances, and had held the captaincy since 2014. Probierz replaced the sacked Fernando Santos as Poland manager in 2023, taking them to Euro 2024 where his side were the first team to be eliminated. The PZPN said Probierz will respond to questions on the situation in a press conference on Monday. Poland defeated Moldova 2-0 in a friendly on Friday and are away to Finland in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
CNA
6 hours ago
- CNA
Lewandowski will not play for Poland under current coach after losing captaincy
Robert Lewandowski said he will not play for Poland again under the current manager, shortly after the striker was stripped of the captaincy role on Sunday. Poland coach Michal Probierz made the decision to replace Lewandowski as national team captain with midfielder Piotr Zielinski. "By decision of coach Michal Probierz, Piotr Zielinski became the new captain of the Polish national team," a Polish football federation (PZPN) statement said. "The coach personally informed Robert Lewandowski, the entire team and the training staff of his decision." Lewandowski's response via social media was swift. "Considering the circumstances and the loss of trust in the Polish national team coach, I have decided to step back from playing for the Polish national team as long as he remains the coach," Lewandowski said. "I hope I will have the chance to play again for the best fans in the world." Lewandowski is not with the current Poland squad, with the Barcelona player citing physical and mental exhaustion after a long season as the reason for his absence. The 36-year-old is Poland's highest goal scorer with 85 goals for his country in a record 158 appearances, and had held the captaincy since 2014. Probierz replaced the sacked Fernando Santos as Poland manager in 2023, taking them to Euro 2024 where his side were the first team to be eliminated. The PZPN said Probierz will respond to questions on the situation in a press conference on Monday. Poland defeated Moldova 2-0 in a friendly on Friday and are away to Finland in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.
