Robert Lewandowski, a striker for Barcelona, has spoken publicly about his choice to keep his distance from the Polish national team while Michał Probierz is their manager.
Even before Poland’s current coach took over, the Barcelona star made it clear he wouldn’t be playing for Poland.
The management reportedly removed Lewandowski as team captain before making the decision. The 36-year-old was shocked and offended by the way the decision was announced, calling it disrespectful.
Lewandowski spoke to WP Sportowe Fakty on how the manager called him out of the blue to tell him that he had been stripped of his eleven-year captaincy without giving him a reason. His explanation was that he was putting his kids to bed and had not anticipated anything like that.
The renowned striker related that “a message appeared on the PZPN website,” but he still hadn’t told his family the news. What truly caught me off guard was the way it was conveyed to me.
“It appeared to me that such matters should be handled differently,” Lewandowski remarked, continuing his eleven years as Polish national team captain and seventeen years as a player for his country. Such a situation ought not to exist. My faith in the coach was shattered. What transpired has deeply wounded me.