Poland national team squad ‘applaud’ Lewandowski being stripped of captaincy – report | OneFootball

Earlier this week, Barcelona veteran Robert Lewandowski announced that he would no longer play for the Polish international team as long as the current manager Michal Probierz is in the office and thus made official a massive update in his professional career.

His decision was understandable given that the coach recently stripped him of the captaincy of the national team and instated Piotr Zielinski as the captain instead.

Yet, it did come as a shocker considering that Lewandowski has been Poland’s most important player over the past decade and this was not how many imagined his international legacy to end up.

What comes as an even bigger shock, however, is the fact that the dressing room sides with the manager on the entire saga as per recent reports from Polish media as relayed by SPORT.

Poland NT squad turns on Lewandowski

As per the report, the Polish national team squad burst into applause when the manager communicated his decision to strip Lewandowski of the captaincy earlier this week.

If true, the behaviour of the players certainly raises questions considering everything that Lewandowski has contributed for the Poland national team over the years.

Poland squad rebelling against Lewandowski. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

There is a clear divide between the players and the former captain, as the squad feels that Lewandowski is not committed enough to the national team project and that he prioritises his club more.

It all began in March when the player asked to start on the bench against Malta to be fit for his next game with Barcelona.

Given the hectic schedule and his age, the request should be seen as understandable but the players begged to differ, especially after the striker reportedly blamed his teammates and the manager for the poor performance after that game.

Most recently, he asked to be excluded from the national team for the ongoing international break, owing to both physical and mental fatigue after the long season, but that has not gone down well with the team.

There is, thus, a complete divide between Lewandowski and the national team that may well never be repaired. Given the player’s age, he may never play for the international team ever again.