Poland’s national football team is facing significant changes as head coach Michal Probierz resigned on Thursday following a dispute with star striker Robert Lewandowski over the team’s captaincy.
Lewandowski, 36, announced on Sunday that he would no longer play for the national team under Probierz’s leadership. The conflict arose after Probierz decided to replace the country’s record goal scorer with Piotr Zielinski as captain.
The Barcelona forward expressed his disappointment with how the situation was handled. He revealed that Probierz informed him of the decision in a brief phone call while he was putting his children to bed. Shortly after, an official statement about the captaincy change appeared on the Polish Football Association’s (PZPN) website.
“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 in a statement. “Performing this function was the fulfillment of my professional dreams and the greatest honor in my life.”
Probierz took over from Portuguese coach Fernando Santos in 2023. Under his guidance, Poland qualified for the UEFA European Championship in 2024 but faced disappointment as they became the first team to be eliminated from the tournament. His contract was set to expire at the end of the qualifying period for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Currently, Poland sits third in Group G of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers with six points from three matches, just one point behind group leaders Finland. The team is scheduled to face the Netherlands in a crucial qualifier on September 4.
The PZPN now faces the task of finding a new coach to lead the national team forward. Fans are hopeful that a resolution can be reached that might see Lewandowski return to international duty.
