Latest news with #Probierz
Straits Times
20 hours 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
20 hours 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
a day 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.
Washington Post
a day ago
- Sport
- Washington Post
Star striker Robert Lewandowski says he'll no longer play for Poland while Michal Probierz is coach
WARSAW, Poland — Robert Lewandowski will no longer play for Poland while Michał Probierz remains head coach, the Barcelona striker said. The 36-year-old Lewandowski, 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 Zieliński as the new captain. The Polish soccer association said: 'Piotr Zieliński has been named the new captain of the national team by head coach Michał 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. ___ AP soccer:
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Star striker Robert Lewandowski says he'll no longer play for Poland while Michal Probierz is coach
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Robert Lewandowski will no longer play for Poland while Michał 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. Advertisement Probierz subsequently named Inter Milan midfielder Piotr Zieliński as the new captain. The Polish soccer association said: 'Piotr Zieliński has been named the new captain of the national team by head coach Michał 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. Advertisement 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. ___ AP soccer: The Associated Press
