Robert Lewandowski has said that he has been left feeling “betrayed” and “very hurt” by the head coach of the Polish national team, Michal Probierz, after quitting the setup because of a row over losing the captaincy. The Barcelona striker was stripped of the armband on Sunday by Probierz, who has appointed the midfielder Piotr Zielinski as captain instead.
Lewandowski then announced he was quitting the national team on social media, citing a “loss of trust in the coach”, refusing to return to play for his country “for as long as [the coach] remains in charge”. Probierz has been in charge of Poland since 2023, with Lewandowski leading the team at Euro 2024 last summer. “I hope I will still have another chance to play again for the best fans in the world,” the 36-year-old said.
