Michal Probierz has resigned as Poland’s manager, days after Robert Lewandowski said he would no longer play for the national team under him.
Lewandowski, Poland’s record goalscorer, said his trust had been betrayed and that he was very hurt by the way Probierz told him he was being replaced as the captain. The 36-year-old Barcelona striker said on Monday he received a short call from Probierz as he was putting his children to bed and that a statement about him losing the captaincy appeared soon after on the Polish football association’s website.
Probierz decided to replace Lewandowski as captain with the Inter midfielder Piotr Zielinski. Poland went on to suffer an embarrassing 2-1 defeat in Finland on Tuesday, putting their World Cup qualification hopes in jeopardy.
“I have come to the conclusion that in the current situation the best decision for the good of the national team will be my resignation from the position of coach,” Probierz said. “Performing this function was the fulfilment of my professional dreams and the greatest honour in my life.”
Lewandowski, who has a record 158 caps and 85 goals, is arguably the most outstanding player in Polish football history. He pulled out of last Friday’s friendly win over Moldova, citing tiredness from a La Liga title-winning season.
Probierz, who took over in September 2023 after the disappointing tenure of Fernando Santos, coached the team to the 2024 European Championship but has since struggled. The Polish FA’s president, Cezary Kulesza, had summoned Probierz on Wednesday to discuss the matter.
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“I give coaches a lot of freedom, but with that comes responsibility,” Kulesza said. “I expect results, first and foremost. These were difficult days for the fans of the national team.”