Poland’s national team manager, Michal Probierz, announced his resignation on Thursday, June 12, 2025, following a public dispute with star striker and record goalscorer Robert Lewandowski over the team captaincy.
The conflict escalated after Probierz stripped the 36-year-old Barcelona forward of the captaincy earlier this week, appointing Napoli’s Piotr Zielinski in his place. In response, Lewandowski stated on Sunday that he would no longer play for the national team as long as Probierz remained in charge.
In a statement released by the Polish Football Association (PZPN), Probierz confirmed his departure. “I have come to the conclusion that in the current situation the best decision for the good of the national team will be my resignation from the position of coach,” he said. “Performing this function was the fulfilment of my professional dreams and the greatest honour in my life.”
Lewandowski, who has scored a record 85 goals in 158 appearances for his country, told a Polish news outlet he felt “hurt” by the manner in which he was informed of the decision. He stated he received a brief phone call from Probierz while putting his children to bed, only for an official announcement to appear on the PZPN website shortly thereafter.
The turmoil comes at a critical time for Poland. On Tuesday, they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Finland in a World Cup qualifier, a match Lewandowski missed, having also sat out a friendly win against Moldova last Friday, citing physical and mental exhaustion. The loss leaves Poland third in their qualifying group with six points from three matches, trailing group leaders Finland.
Probierz was appointed in September 2023, succeeding Fernando Santos. He successfully guided Poland to qualification for Euro 2024, though the team was the first to be eliminated from the tournament.
The Polish Football Association acknowledged the resignation, stating, “The Polish Football Association would like to thank selector Michal Probierz very much for his cooperation and involvement in leading the national team, wishing him success in his further career.”
Poland’s next World Cup qualifier is an away fixture against the Netherlands on September 4, with the national federation now tasked with appointing a new manager to navigate the remainder of the campaign.
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