As Poland’s national team secured two consecutive wins against Lithuania (1:0) and Malta (2:0) in the World Cup qualifiers, criticism rained down on coach Michał Probierz’s squad. Despite the victories, the team’s performance was underwhelming, and even Robert Lewandowski, the country’s beloved striker, couldn’t hide his dissatisfaction.
In a post-match interview with TVP, Lewandowski admitted, „We have a lot of work to do. From small details to schemes and execution. We need to ask ourselves some tough questions, which we had before this gathering. We have a base, but it’s high time we took action and improved our game.”
However, Lewandowski himself came under fire in the media. During the Lithuania match, he scored the only goal but had to leave the field due to a minor injury. Later, he revealed that he had been experiencing pain in his leg for several matches. This revelation sparked controversy when he was left out of the starting lineup against Malta.
Mark Koźmiński, a former Poland international, was not impressed with Lewandowski’s behavior. „The fact that Robert didn’t start against Malta was a huge surprise. Earlier, we heard about a minor injury, but the next day, we were told everything was fine,” Koźmiński said on Kanał Sportowy.
The 36-year-old Lewandowski eventually entered the game in the 66th minute, replacing Krzysztof Piątek. Just before that, TV cameras captured a conversation between Lewandowski and Probierz, which Koźmiński found peculiar. „If it’s 2:0, and Robert gets up and whispers something to the coach, we can only guess what he said, but we all know what the message was: 'Let me in, maybe I’ll score something.’ This is extremely weak.”
Koźmiński went on to criticize Lewandowski’s attitude, suggesting that the striker’s individual interests took precedence over the team’s needs. „Robert has lost a lot of value in my eyes. His behavior shows that the team’s ethos doesn’t matter. Where’s the sense in pushing yourself when the game is already won? Sit on the bench, the result is secured.”
As Poland gears up for their next matches in June, including a friendly against Moldova on June 6th and a World Cup qualifier against Finland on June 10th, the team’s performance and Lewandowski’s role within it will be under intense scrutiny. Can they turn things around and regain their lost momentum? Only time will tell.
Key statistics:
* Poland’s current FIFA ranking: 24th
* Robert Lewandowski’s goal tally in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers: 5 goals in 4 matches
* Poland’s win-loss record in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers: 3 wins, 1 loss, 1 draw
