Robert Lewandowski has announced he will no longer play for Poland as long as head coach Michal Probierz remains in charge.
The 36-year-old star striker, who has captained the national team since 2014 and is Poland’s all-time top scorer with 85 goals in 158 appearances, took to social media Sunday night with a clear message: His trust in the coach has been broken.
“Considering the circumstances and the loss of trust in the national team coach, I have decided to step back from playing for Poland while he remains in office,” Lewandowski posted on X.
The decision came hours after Probierz stripped Lewandowski of the captaincy, handing the armband to midfielder Piotr Zielinski.
According to the Polish Football Association (PZPN), Probierz personally informed Lewandowski, the squad and the coaching staff of the switch.
Lewandowski’s absence from Poland’s current squad had already raised eyebrows.
The Barcelona forward cited mental and physical exhaustion after a long club season and is sitting out Tuesday’s World Cup qualifier against Finland.
But the fallout over the captaincy has now escalated tensions into a full-blown standoff.
“I hope I’ll have the chance to play again for the best fans in the world,” Lewandowski added, hinting at a possible return – but only after a managerial change.
Probierz, who replaced Fernando Santos in 2023, led Poland to Euro 2024 but saw the team become the first to crash out. Poland beat Moldova 2-0 in a friendly Friday but face sterner tests ahead, without their biggest name.
The PZPN said Probierz will address the Lewandowski saga in a press conference on Monday.
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