WARSAW, Poland — In a significant development for Polish football, Robert Lewandowski announced that he would not represent the national team while Micha? Probierz remains as head coach. The Barcelona forward, now 36, has had an illustrious international career, playing a record 158 matches and scoring an impressive 85 goals for Poland. However, following a demanding season with Barcelona where they clinched the La Liga title, Lewandowski cited fatigue as his reason for withdrawing from recent fixtures, including a friendly against Moldova and an important World Cup qualifier versus Finland.
Subsequently, the management named Piotr Zieli?ski, an Inter Milan midfielder, as the new captain of the team. The Polish Football Association shared in a statement, “Piotr Zieli?ski has been appointed as the new captain of the national team by head coach Micha? Probierz. The coach conveyed his decision directly to Robert Lewandowski, the entire squad, and the coaching staff.”
Lewandowski took to social media to express his stance, stating, “Given the circumstances and the breach in trust with the head coach of the Polish national team, I’ve decided to abstain from playing for the national side while he remains at the helm. I still hope for the opportunity to play again for our incredible fans.”
In April, Lewandowski faced a setback with an injury to his left thigh during a La Liga match against Celta Vigo, which saw him out of action for two weeks. This absence included missing out on key matches like Barcelona’s thrilling 3-3 draw in the Champions League semifinal first leg against Inter Milan. Nevertheless, he managed to bounce back in time for the return leg, coming in as a substitute in a closely contested 4-3 defeat that paved the way for Inter to advance to the finals.
Meanwhile, the Polish national team maintains a promising start in their World Cup qualifying campaign, currently leading Group G with two victories from two matches.