Latest news with #MichalProbierz
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Business Standard
an hour ago
- Sport
- Business Standard
Robert Lewandowski to no longer play for Poland with coach Michal Probierz
Robert Lewandowski will no longer play for Poland while Michal 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 Zielinski as the new captain. The Polish soccer association said: Piotr Zielinski has been named the new captain of the national team by head coach Michal 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. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Robert Lewandowski refuses to play for Poland ‘as long as coach is in charge'
Robert Lewandowski has quit the Polish national team, saying he will not return to play for his country while the current manager remains in the role. Michal Probierz, who has been in charge of Poland since 2023, replaced Lewandowski as captain with Napoli's Piotr Zielinski on Sunday. '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, 36, wrote on social media. 'I hope I will still have another chance to play again for the best fans in the world.' The striker, who is Poland's record appearance-maker and top scorer, was not included in Probierz's squad for their fixtures in June in order to rest after finishing the club season with Barcelona. 'Playing in the white and red colours has always been a dream come true for me, but sometimes the body gives a signal that it is necessary to take a breather for a moment,' Lewandowski wrote on social media on 2 June. Lewandowski did however attend Friday's friendly win against Moldova, appearing on the bench alongside the manager Probierz, as Poland bode farewell to the forward Kamil Grosicki, who was earning his 95th and final cap. Two days later, the Polish FA said Lewandowski had been replaced by Zielinski as captain of the national team 'by decision of the coach Michal Probierz'. A statement said that 'the coach personally informed Robert Lewandowski, the entire team and the training staff of his decision'. Lewandowski has made 158 appearances for Poland – 49 more than the second-highest cap holder Jakub Blaszczykowski – and scored 85 goals – 37 more than the second top scorer, Wlodzimierz Lubanski. He has played at two World Cups and four European Championships, including Euro 2012, jointly hosted by Poland and Ukraine. Lewandowski first captained his country in a World Cup qualifier against San Marino in 2013. Poland face Finland in Helsinki on Tuesday night looking to keep up their 100% record in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
Asharq Al-Awsat
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Asharq Al-Awsat
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.
The Independent
4 hours ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Robert Lewandowski refuses to play for Poland after being stripped of 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. Poland boss 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
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Barcelona superstar announces international retirement until coach is replaced
In a dramatic twist that has sent shockwaves through Polish football, Robert Lewandowski has announced his decision to step away from international duty, with the forward stating that he won't return unless there is a change in the coaching setup. The Barcelona forward made the bold declaration through his official social media, stating that he no longer has confidence in the current Poland manager, Michal Probierz. Advertisement The situation began to unravel a few weeks ago when Lewandowski opted out of Poland's friendlies against Moldova and Finland. At the time, the veteran striker claimed the decision had been made jointly with the coach, citing the demanding club season with Barça as a reason for his absence. But it appears that there was more brewing behind the scenes than initially revealed. Captaincy decision sparks final break Tensions escalated further when the Polish Football Federation announced that Lewandowski would be stripped of the captain's armband, handing it instead to midfielder Piotr Zielinski. This public demotion only added fuel to an already fiery situation, triggering Lewandowski's immediate and stern response. Advertisement 'Given the circumstances and the loss of confidence in the coach of the Polish national team, I have decided to give up playing with the Polish national team until he is no longer the coach,' wrote Lewandowski. He also thanked Polish supporters, calling them 'the best fans in the world,' and expressed his hope to represent the country again someday. The fallout between Poland's most iconic player and their current coach marks a low point for the national side, especially ahead of important qualifiers. For now, Lewandowski remains fully committed to Barcelona, but the message is clear — he won't wear the Poland shirt again until there's a new face on the touchline.
