After a power struggle with top striker Robert Lewandowski, Poland’s national coach Michal Probierz has resigned.
Michal Probierz has lost the power struggle with Poland’s top striker Robert Lewandowski (36) and has resigned as national coach. The 52-year-old coach announced this on Thursday after a kind of war of words had developed between him and Lewandowski.
Probierz had stripped the former Bayern Munich striker of the captaincy of the national team, prompting Lewandowski to announce that he would no longer play for Poland under Probierz.
“The greatest honor of my life”
“I have come to the conclusion that in the current situation, the best decision for the good of the national team is to resign from my position as national coach,” Probierz said in a statement released by the Polish Football Association: “Fulfilling this role was the realization of my professional dreams and the greatest honor of my life.”
Without Lewandowski, Poland recently suffered a surprise 1-2 defeat to Finland in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers and are now in third place in Group G after three games.
Probierz had surprised Lewandowski at the end of last week by informing him that midfielder Piotr Zielinski would be the new captain of Poland with immediate effect. The FC Barcelona striker said he was “completely unprepared” for the call, adding, “I had just put the kids to bed.” The conversation lasted a few minutes. Lewandowski complained that Probierz had “abused his trust.”
