Latest news with #Probierz
The Hindu
13 hours ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Lewandowski ‘betrayed and hurt' by way he lost Poland captaincy
Poland striker Robert Lewandowski said his trust had been betrayed and he was very hurt by the way coach Michal Probierz told him he was being replaced as team captain. The country's record goalscorer immediately announced on social media that he would not play for the national team under Probierz who made the decision to appoint midfielder Piotr Zielinski as captain. Lewandowski told news website on Monday that he received a short call from Probierz as he was putting his children to sleep and that a statement about him losing the captaincy soon appeared on the Polish football federation (PZPN) website. ALSO READ | Lewandowski refuses to play for Poland as long as Michal Probierz is head coach 'I wore the armband for 11 years, and I've been playing in the national team for 17,' Lewandowski was quoted as saying. 'It seemed to me that such matters should be handled differently... we have an important match ahead of us, and everything was communicated over the phone. This is really not how it should be. The coach betrayed my trust.' Lewandowski said the national team had always been the most important thing for him and that he was 'very hurt' by the way the decision to strip him of the armband was communicated. Probierz is due to hold a press conference on Monday afternoon. Lewandowski is not in the current Poland squad, citing physical and mental exhaustion after a long season as the reason for his absence. The 36-year-old, who has scored 85 goals for his country in a record 158 appearances, 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. Poland defeated Moldova 2-0 in a friendly on Friday and are away to Finland in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.
USA Today
21 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Poland's Robert Lewandowski-less plan is already blowing up in its face
Poland's Robert Lewandowski-less plan is already blowing up in its face Over the weekend, Poland's men's national soccer team coach, Michał Probierz, put his foot down with Robert Lewandowski. With the prolific all-time striker declining to make himself available to his country for Tuesday's Men's World Cup qualifier with Finland, Probierz stripped Lewandowski of his long-time captaincy. He instead awarded the captain's armband to midfielder Piotr Zieliński. As a result, Lewandowski has threatened retirement from his international duties with his home country. This is a bold, high-profile move concerning a coach trying not to let a star get special treatment above his team. No matter their history of service. Which, to be clear, is commendable for Poland. Unfortunately, it's kind of already blowing up in Probierz's and Poland's face. Ahead of Tuesday's match with Finland, it was announced that Zieliński would not play because of a calf injury. That means Probierz's first two (and most logical) options for captain were off the table, along with its two best attacking players. Oof. In Zieliński's stead, defender Jan Bednarek was named captain for the match, who it should be noted is decidedly several tiers below in quality of player than either Lewandowski OR Zieliński. If Poland was hoping to survive without the greatest player it's ever had, its backup plan is already self-combusting in chaotic fashion: If you're Lewandowski right now, you're likely feeling a little conflicted. On the one hand, Lewandowski undoubtedly wishes great success for his country as it tries to secure a strong qualifying for the 2026 Men's World Cup. You definitely want Poland in the tournament and in a good position to make a run. On the other hand, Lewandowski would probably be lying if he wasn't feeling some measure of good old-fashioned schadenfreude watching Poland scramble around, trying to account for his absence. What a bizarre saga involving one of the greatest soccer players ever. Call it a hunch, but this isn't the last we'll hear of Lewandowski vs. Poland. This whole fiasco seems like it's just getting started.
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Lewandowski 'betrayed and hurt' by way he lost Poland 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 'betrayed and hurt' by way he lost Poland captaincy Poland striker Robert Lewandowski said his trust had been betrayed and he was very hurt by the way coach Michal Probierz told him he was being replaced as team captain. The country's record goalscorer immediately announced on social media that he would not play for the national team under Probierz who made the decision to appoint midfielder Piotr Zielinski as captain. Lewandowski told news website on Monday that he received a short call from Probierz as he was putting his children to sleep and that a statement about him losing the captaincy soon appeared on the Polish football federation (PZPN) website. "I wore the armband for 11 years, and I've been playing in the national team for 17," Lewandowski was quoted as saying. "It seemed to me that such matters should be handled differently... we have an important match ahead of us, and everything was communicated over the phone. This is really not how it should be. The coach betrayed my trust." Lewandowski said the national team had always been the most important thing for him and that he was "very hurt" by the way the decision to strip him of the armband was communicated. Probierz is due to hold a press conference on Monday afternoon. Lewandowski is not in the current Poland squad, citing physical and mental exhaustion after a long season as the reason for his absence. The 36-year-old, who has scored 85 goals for his country in a record 158 appearances, 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. 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.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Lewandowski 'betrayed and hurt' by way he lost Poland captaincy
-Poland striker Robert Lewandowski said his trust had been betrayed and he was very hurt by the way coach Michal Probierz told him he was being replaced as team captain. The country's record goalscorer immediately announced on social media that he would not play for the national team under Probierz who made the decision to appoint midfielder Piotr Zielinski as captain. Lewandowski told news website on Monday that he received a short call from Probierz as he was putting his children to sleep and that a statement about him losing the captaincy soon appeared on the Polish football federation website. "I wore the armband for 11 years, and I've been playing in the national team for 17," Lewandowski was quoted as saying. "It seemed to me that such matters should be handled differently... we have an important match ahead of us, and everything was communicated over the phone. This is really not how it should be. The coach betrayed my trust." Lewandowski said the national team had always been the most important thing for him and that he was "very hurt" by the way the decision to strip him of the armband was communicated. Probierz is due to hold a press conference on Monday afternoon. Lewandowski is not in the current Poland squad, citing physical and mental exhaustion after a long season as the reason for his absence. The 36-year-old, who has scored 85 goals for his country in a record 158 appearances, 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. Poland defeated Moldova 2-0 in a friendly on Friday and are away to Finland in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Poland players back the decision to strip Lewandowski of captaincy
Poland striker Robert Lewandowski has been in the public eye after announcing his resignation from the national team on Sunday. The shock retirement followed head coach Michal Probierz's decision to remove the Barcelona centre-forward from captaincy, electing Inter Milan midfielder Piotr Zielinski in his place. Advertisement Lewandowski took to social media to insist that he will not play again for Poland as long as Probierz is in charge. '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,' read Lewandowski's statement (h/t BBC Sport). 'I hope I will still have another chance to play again for the best fans in the world.' A new report from Diario Sport claims that Polish players are standing by the head coach's decision. It indicates a potential rift between Lewandowski and his teammates. Having been the face of the Polish national team for more than a decade, Lewandowski would be utterly disappointed with the latest happenings. Advertisement Despite not winning a major trophy at the international level, the legendary striker holds the record for most goals (85) and most appearances (158) for Poland. The 36-year-old may be in his twilight, but his prolific form at the club level shows that he is still indispensable to Poland heading into next year's World Cup. Poland players feel that Lewandowski has been prioritising his club duties ahead of the national team. The former captain also opted out of the ongoing international break, citing the reasons of fatigue following a long season with Barcelona. Probierz is expected to answer questions about Lewandowski's situation at a press conference on Monday ahead of the World Cup Qualifying game against Finland. Lewandowski had a stellar 2024/25 season, bagging 42 goals in all competitions and inspiring Hansi Flick's side to a domestic treble.
