Poland’s record goalscorer Robert Lewandowski has said he felt “betrayed” by head coach Michał Probierz for replacing him as captain.
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Lewandowski ‘betrayed’ by Poland coach
The 36-year-old said he would not play for the national team as long as Probierz remains in charge.
The decision came after Lewandowski lost the captaincy, though he said the handling of issue 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.”
Lewandowski has won more caps (158) and scored more goals (85) than anyone else in the history of the Polish national team.
“Trust” is important
Lewandowski’s announcement came after days of media criticism over his decision to skip Poland’s June games against Moldova and Finland, citing physical and mental fatigue after a long season and a hamstring injury.
Piotr Zielinski replaced him as captain on Sunday.
“It’s not even about the decision regarding the armband, but the way it was communicated to me,” Lewandowski said.
“I really don’t care about the armband itself. I believe in Zielinski and I’m keeping my fingers crossed for him.”
The Barcelona striker said he and Probierz had agreed on the decision and questioned who leaked the details to the press.
“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 said he may not have stepped away from the national team if Probierz had dealt with the situation differently.
However, the forward believes that it will be difficult for him to fix his relationship with the coach.
“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 faces Finland on Tuesday in a World Cup qualifier, as they look to book their place in the tournament.
