2 days ago
Poland coach Probierz resigns amid row with Lewandowski
Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski plays the ball during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and FC Barcelona at the Signal Iduna Park. Federico Gambarini/dpa
Poland national team coach Michal Probierz has resigned from his position, the Polish football federation PZPN said in a statement on X on Thursday.
His resignation comes amid a row with star striker Robert Lewandowski, who said he wouldn't play for the national team again as long as Probierz was the coach.
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"I have come to the conclusion that in the current situation it's best for the national team if I resign as coach," Probierz was quoted in the PZPN statement.
Lewandowski, 36, stepped away from the national team after Probierz said that he would no longer be team captain and Piotr Zielinski would take over this role.
In an interview to the WP SportoweFakty news portal published on Sunday, Lewandowski said that Probierz "abused my trust."
"He broke our agreements and that's why I'm surprised by his behaviour," he said.
Lewandowski is currently in Poland due to legal proceedings against his former agent Cesary Kucharski.
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On his way to the courtroom on Thursday, he was asked by reporters whether he wanted to return to the national team after Probierz's resignation. But he replied that he had other things on his mind at the moment.
Poland lost a World Cup qualifier 2-1 in Finland on Tuesday, after winning their first two games. They are third in the group, one point behind leaders Finland.
Lewandowski, who has a record 158 caps and 85 goals, was not part of the squad because he said he needed some rest after a long club season with Spanish league and Cup champions Barcelona.
