Poland manager Michał Probierz said he had no intention of stepping down despite growing criticism and a 1-2 loss to Finland in a World Cup qualifier that complicated his team’s hopes of advancing directly to the tournament in North America.

Polish media has criticized star striker Robert Lewandowski for his decision longer play for Poland as long as Michal Probierz is the coach. Lewandowski, 36, made the announcement in a post in Polish on the X platform on Sunday after Probiertz said that would no longer be team captain and Piotr Zielinski would take over this role.

In the World Cup qualifying match—the first without Lewandowski—Poland had to endure their first setback. Joel Pohjanpalo scored the opener for the Finns. The striker is likely still familiar to some Bundesliga fans from his time at Leverkusen and Hamburger SV.

VARSOVIA, Polonia (AP) — Robert Lewandowski no jugará para Polonia mientras Michał Probierz siga siendo el entrenador en jefe, afirmó el delantero del Barcelona. Lewandowski, de 36 años, quien tiene el récord con 158 apariciones con su selección y ...

Robert Lewandowski has explained his decision to quit playing for Poland while manager Michal Probierz is in charge.

Robert Lewandowski dropped a bombshell over the weekend when he announced he would no longer play for the Poland national team while Michal Probierz is in charge. The decision came after Probierz had taken the captaincy off the Barcelona striker, but he says that’s not the only reason for his decision.

Robert Lewandowski announced he will not play for Poland while Michal Probierz remains head coach. The striker, citing fatigue, skipped recent matches and expressed distrust in Probierz. Piotr Zielinski was named the new captain.