Poland’s record goalscorer Robert Lewandowski has said he feels his trust was “betrayed” by head coach Michał Probierz and that it will be difficult to forget the events which led to him stepping away from international football this week.
Lewandowski, 36, made the surprise announcement on Sunday that he would not play for Poland for as long as Probierz remains in charge.
The decision came after Lewandowski was stripped of the captaincy, although the Barcelona striker said it was the way the issue was handled which hurt most.
“I got a surprise call from Probierz with the information that he had decided to take away the armband,” Lewandowski said in an interview with SportoweFakty on Monday.
“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.”
Robert Lewandowski has announced he will not play for the Poland national team for as long as coach Michał Probierz remains in charge. Marcin Golba/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Lewandowski’s announcement followed days of criticism in the Polish media following his decision not to make himself available for games against Moldova and Finland this month due to “physical and mental tiredness” after a long season with Barça and a recent hamstring injury.
As a result, he was replaced by Piotr Zieliński as captain on Sunday, although he said everything had been agreed with Probierz and questioned how certain information made it into the public domain.
“It’s not even about the decision regarding the armband, but the way it was communicated to me,” Lewandowski 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.
“The decision that I wouldn’t come to the training camp was made together with the coach. I called him to ask what he thought about me getting some rest. He said that he supported it and that he was even thinking about calling me about it.”
Lewandowski, who has one more year to run on his Barça contract, said he may not have stepped away from the national team if Probierz had dealt with the situation differently, but feels it will be difficult to mend bridges now.
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“In football, trust is a very important factor,” he said. “If you want to be successful, you have to pull in the same direction.
“Sometimes you can disagree with someone and that is normal. However, things have happened that will be hard to forget.”
Poland face Finland on Tuesday in a World Cup qualifier with the chance to extend their record to three wins from three as they look to book their place in North America next summer.
Lewandowski — who has won more caps (158) and scored more goals (85) than anyone else in the history of the Polish national team — is in danger of missing the tournament if nothing changes before.
“I want to sit down and think about it all calmly,” he said when asked if he will play for Poland again.
“I need to catch my breath. Then I will be able to say more about my thoughts and what’s next. Today there is regret and anger.
“I have always cared a lot about the national team. Nothing has changed in that respect.”
Probierz has been in charge of the team since 2023, when he replaced predecessor Fernando Santos after impressing during a short stint in charge of the country’s under-21 team.
He led Poland to Euro 2024 last summer, where they exited the competition in the group stage after failing to win a game.
Michał Probierz named Piotr Zieliński as Poland’s new captain. MARKKU ULANDER/Lehtikuva/AFP via Getty Images
The Poland boss reflected on his decision in a news conference on Monday.
“I had a whole day to reflect and make a decision. After this analysis, I decided to change captain,” Probierz said. He acknowledged that “the time and place in which such a decision is made are always very difficult.”
“Lewandowski is an outstanding player, but I thought it was a good time to change captain.”
Asked about Lewandowski’s refusal to be called up to any further international matches while the manager is in charge, Probierz said: “Robert’s response was that the captain’s armband meant nothing and that little would change for the team.”
“There are no bad feelings or grudges. It’s about the good of the national team.”
Lewandowski’s successor as captain, Zieliński, was reluctant to give his thoughts on the Barcelona forward’s decision.
[Lewandowski] is an outstanding footballer, there’s nothing to discuss about it,” he said.
“The coach made the decision, I respect it, I accept it with pride.
Zieliński added that he is open to speaking with Lewandowski, but “if that conversation has to happen, it will be after tomorrow’s game.”
