The National Team Technician for Poland, Micha Probierz, He resigned from his position this Thursday, a few days after a strong dispute with the historical captain of the team, Robert Lewandowskiand after a painful defeat against Finland that puts the World Cup classification at risk.
“I have concluded that, given the current situation, the best decision for the good of the national team is my resignation as a coach,” said Probierz in a statement released by the Polish Football Association (PZPN).
The conflict broke out after Probierz removed Lewandowski the captain’s tape in the previous qualifying party against Finland, granting the captaincy to Inter Milan midfielder, Piotr Zieliski. In response, Lewandowski announced that he would not play again with the selection while trying to be in command.
Poland lost 2-1 to Finland, a result that seriously complicates his aspirations to classify the 2026 World Cup. The 36-year-old FC Barcelona striker is considered the best footballer in the country’s history, with 158 international games and 85 goals, both national records.
Lewandowski’s pressure had effect
The tension increased after Lewandowski was also absent from the recent friendly against Moldova, claiming fatigue after conquering LaLiga’s title with Barça.
Micha Probierz, who assumed the position in September 2023 after the departure of Fernando Santos, managed to classify Poland to the 2024 Eurocup, but since then the team’s performance has been irregular.
The president of the PZPN, Cezary Kulesza, had summoned Timed on Wednesday to deal with the situation. “I give coaches a lot of freedom, but that entails responsibility. I expect results, first of all,” he said. “They have been difficult days for national team fans.”
The Polish Football Association has not yet announced who will assume command in the face of the next qualifying commitments.
