Latest news with #RobertLewandowski
The Standard
5 hours ago
- Sport
- The Standard
Lewandowski will not play for Poland under current coach after losing captaincy
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
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Polish media slams Lewandowski for national team withdrawal
Poland's Robert Lewandowski appears disappointed after the UEFA Euro 2024 Group D soccer match between Poland and Austria at the Olympiastadion. Star striker Robert Lewandowski has said he will no longer play in the Polish national team as long as Michal Probierz is the coach. Soeren Stache/dpa Polish media has criticized star striker Robert Lewandowski for his decision longer play for Poland as long as Michal Probierz is the coach. Lewandowski, 36, made the announcement in a post in Polish on the X platform on Sunday after Probiertz said that would no longer be team captain and Piotr Zielinski would take over this role. Advertisement The Gazeta Wyborcza daily said on Tuesday that the star striker has "inflicted a huge blow to his image." "Maybe he doesn't care?," the paper said. "Lewandowski is a great footballer, perhaps the greatest in the history of Polish football. It's an open secret that Lewandowski has long considered Probierz to be a weak coach who is damaging the national team. But even the most outstanding footballer doesn't have the right to decide who coaches the team. "Lewandowski has worked in clubs with top coaches such as Jürgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti and Hansi Flick. But such coaches are unattainable for the Polish Football Association." Advertisement Gazeta Wyborcza said that Lewandowski has "obligations to the team and the fans" and that "there's a lot of ambiguity in this whole controversy." The Rzeczpospolita newspaper called Lewandowski's behaviour "scandalous" and said that the player "seems to have lost touch with reality." "His statement can be understood as follows: Either I'm captain, then I play, or I'm not - and I don't play. "The captain's armband is an additional honour that you have to earn. Lewandowski has earned this honor in dozens of games," it wrote. According to the paper, Probierz called Lewandowski to tell him he would lose his position as team captain. The two later met over coffee and Probierz explained his reasons.
Daily Mirror
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Robert Lewandowski accuses manager of "betraying" him as he refuses to play
Robert Lewandowski has lost the captaincy with Poland after sitting out recent games but has been left fuming with the head coach for how he's handled the saga Poland icon Robert Lewandowski claims he was "betrayed" when he lost the armband after claiming he will never play for his country whilst Michał Probierz is the head coach. The Barcelona frontman, who is his country's record goalscorer, has been left fuming by the series of events that saw him stripped of the captaincy as he lamented the manner in which he found out. Lewandowski had copped heavy criticism in the Polish media after making himself unavailable for games against Moldova and Finland this month. He cited "physical and mental tiredness" after a long season with his club as well as and a recent hamstring injury. Lewandowski was replaced by Piotr Zielinski as captain on Sunday, but claimed his situation had been agreed with Probierz. The 36-year-old also questioned how certain information became public and insists he should never have been informed about the changes over the phone. Lewandowski told SportoweFakty: "I got a surprise call from Probierz with the information that he had decided to take away the armband. I was not prepared for it at all, I was putting my children to bed. The conversation lasted a few minutes. "I didn't even have time to tell my family what had happened, because a few moments later it appeared online. I've been wearing the armband for 11 years and playing for the national team for 17. It seemed to me that such matters should be handled differently. "Everything was communicated over the phone. It really shouldn't be like this. The coach betrayed my trust. I've always given everything to the national team, it's always been the most important thing to me, but I'm very hurt by what happened." The ex-Bayern Munich maintained he was not angered by Zielinski replacing him, handing his full backing to the Inter Milan star, but believes the coach didn't back him. "It's not even about the decision regarding the armband, but the way it was communicated to me," he added. "I really don't care about the armband itself. I believe in Zieliński and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for him. I have the impression that the coach caved in to the media pressure. He broke agreements we had and that's why I'm surprised by his attitude." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
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 Inter'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 by some distance 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 head coach Probierz, as Poland bade 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'. A statement said: '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. Guardian
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Poland national team squad ‘applaud' Lewandowski being stripped of captaincy
Earlier this week, Barcelona veteran Robert Lewandowski announced that he would no longer play for the Polish international team as long as the current manager Michal Probierz is in the office and thus made official a massive update in his professional career. His decision was understandable given that the coach recently stripped him of the captaincy of the national team and instated Piotr Zielinski as the captain instead. Advertisement Yet, it did come as a shocker considering that Lewandowski has been Poland's most important player over the past decade and this was not how many imagined his international legacy to end up. What comes as an even bigger shock, however, is the fact that the dressing room sides with the manager on the entire saga as per recent reports from Polish media as relayed by SPORT. Poland NT squad turns on Lewandowski As per the report, the Polish national team squad burst into applause when the manager communicated his decision to strip Lewandowski of the captaincy earlier this week. If true, the behaviour of the players certainly raises questions considering everything that Lewandowski has contributed for the Poland national team over the years. Poland squad rebelling against Lewandowski. (Photo by) There is a clear divide between the players and the former captain, as the squad feels that Lewandowski is not committed enough to the national team project and that he prioritises his club more. Advertisement It all began in March when the player asked to start on the bench against Malta to be fit for his next game with Barcelona. Given the hectic schedule and his age, the request should be seen as understandable but the players begged to differ, especially after the striker reportedly blamed his teammates and the manager for the poor performance after that game. Most recently, he asked to be excluded from the national team for the ongoing international break, owing to both physical and mental fatigue after the long season, but that has not gone down well with the team. There is, thus, a complete divide between Lewandowski and the national team that may well never be repaired. Given the player's age, he may never play for the international team ever again.
