Despite the ongoing World Cup qualifiers, the focus of the Polish fans has been redirected from the field onto the team itself. In the last few days, new developments were added to the already controversial story, with Michał Probierz, the national team’s coach, officially resigning from his duties.
The past few days have been quite tense for Polish football. Robert Lewandowski decided not to participate in a friendly against Moldova and a qualifier against Finland. Soon after, Probierz, the coach of the national team, announced that Lewandowski would no longer be the captain of the team. The title was transferred to Piotr Zieliński, Inter Milan’s midfielder.
Hurt by the decision, Lewandowski decided to quit the national team. He stated that this wasn’t a permanent goodbye and that he hoped to return to the field as soon as the team replaced Probierz.
A day after Lewandowski’s controversial decision, Probierz appeared at a press conference. He claimed that he had made his decision with the Polish team in mind.
“Today, this team needs someone like Piotr Zieliński. I believe that this will be a good change for the representation,” he stated during the conference.
Zieliński, the new captain, also participated in the conference. He also claimed that his main priority was the good of the team and the upcoming World Cup qualifier against Finland. When asked about his relationship with Lewandowski, he said:
“I haven’t spoken with Robert, but I will not have an issue with doing so. I am open to it” (translated from Polish, taken from the June 9 press conference).
The conference was a prelude to a very important World Cup qualifier against Finland. Many Polish fans assumed that Probierz decided to make Zieliński the captain so that the team had their captain on the field during the game. This turned out not to be true as Zieliński’s injury prevented him from either playing or sitting on the bench. Probierz knew about it prior to the match and realized that the new captain would not be able to appear on the field.
This led to outrage from the fans of the Polish national team. Even those who stood behind the coach and believed that Lewandowski was acting out of line questioned his decision in light of the new development. The anger only deepened when Poland lost the match.
The game was suspended with 20 minutes on the clock due to a medical emergency in the stands. At the time, the score was 2:1 for Finland. After the medics made sure that the affected fan was safe, Polish supporters loudly expressed their discontent with the coach. A vulgar iteration of ‘Probierz, Probierz Out’ reverberated around the stadium.
Despite Probierz’s earlier statements that he was not going to resign, a few days after the match against Finland, Probierz did quit his position as coach of the Polish team. ‘Łączy Nas Piłka’, the official account of Polish football, posted a statement from the ex-coach:
“I have decided that in the current situation, the best thing for the team is my resignation. Carrying out the duties of the coach was a professional dream come true, and my life’s biggest honor” (translated from Polish).
The search for a new coach for the Polish team must begin promptly, as the next World Cup qualifying matches will take place in only a few months. The whole dramatic saga couldn’t have come at a worse time for the team, and it introduced unnecessary tensions ahead of a very important game. Still, Probierz’s resignation was a relief. It brought in the hope that whoever follows him will be able to transform the unorganized team into one that can make its mark on the world of national football.
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