In the search for a new coach for the Polish national team, England’s former national coach Gareth Southgate has been rejected. Association president Cezary Kulesza favors a Polish coach.
Michal Probierz’s era as coach of the Polish national team ended with a 1-2 defeat to Finland. The conflict with leading player Robert Lewandowski – including the Barcelona striker’s (temporary) retirement – overshadowed the 52-year-old’s tenure, who stepped down in mid-June. In the search for his successor, a prominent coach has now been turned down.
As Cezary Kulesza, president of the Polish Football Association, announced in an interview with the sports daily Przeglad Sportowy, Gareth Southgate has been turned down for the vacant position. The 54-year-old has been without a coaching job since leaving the English Football Association after defeat in the European Championship final (1-2) against Spain last summer. In October 2024, the Englishman announced that he would be taking an extended break after rumors emerged that he was set to join Manchester United.
Kulesza favors Polish coach
“We must not forget that no foreign coach can guarantee us qualification for the World Cup. If he could give us such a guarantee, I would hire him immediately,” Kulesza said, explaining the rejection of Southgate. “Fernando Santos is a perfect example. A coach with a big name who was applauded by everyone, but the reality turned out to be surprising and painful for all of us,” he said.
The Portuguese took over as coach of the Bialo-Czerwoni in January 2023, but was dismissed after only nine months and a third defeat in the 2024 European Championship qualifiers.
Urawa Red Diamonds coach the favorite
In the Polish media, however, Maciej Skorza is considered the favorite. The Polish-born coach has been coaching Urawa Red Diamonds since 2023 with interruptions. The 53-year-old is currently participating in the Club World Cup with the Japanese club. There, he recently suffered his second defeat in a row against Inter Milan (1-2).
“If I had to guess, I’d say the chances are 50-50. Our talks were very concrete. The position of national coach is probably every coach’s dream in Poland,” the association president revealed about the initial talks with Skorza.
Poland’s next World Cup qualifiers are not until September: first against the Netherlands (September 4), then against Finland (September 7).
