Decision comes after Lewandowski quit the national team, vowing to return only on the condition that Probierz leaves
Poland national team boss Michal Probierz has stepped down from his position after a fallout with captain Robert Lewandowski.
The manager’s resignation comes just days after Lewandowski publicly accused Probierz of betraying his trust by stripping him of the captaincy via a brief phone call, which led to the Barcelona striker provisionally quitting the team.
The 36-year-old Barcelona striker revealed he learned of the decision while putting his children to bed, only to see an official statement confirming the change appear shortly afterward on the Polish Football Association’s (PZPN) website. Inter Milan midfielder Piotr Zielinski was named the new captain.
Probierz’s decision to demote Poland’s all-time top scorer, who has amassed 158 caps and 85 goals, created immediate backlash and appeared to destabilise the team. Poland followed the controversy with a damaging 2-1 loss to Finland on Tuesday, dealing a significant blow to their 2026 World Cup qualifying hopes.
Even without his resignation, Lewandowski was not going to play against Finland, having earlier made the decision to step back from Poland’s June games, citing physical and mental exhaustion. However, the rift between him and Probierz may have created enough tension to cause a drop in form.
Probierz, who has coached Poland since 2023, said in a statement: “In the current situation, the best decision for the good of the national team is my resignation. This role was the fulfilment of a dream and the greatest honour of my life.”
PZPN president Cezary Kulesza summoned Probierz for crisis talks on Wednesday. That dialogue apparently led to a conclusion that it would be best if Probierz discontinued his role.
“I give coaches a lot of freedom, but with that comes responsibility,” said Kulesza. “These were difficult days for the fans of the national team.”
