Poland coach Michal Probierz has resigned following the clash with Robert Lewandowski after he was replaced as the captain of the team.
Lewandowski announced on Sunday that he would not be available for selection under the guidance of Probierz after the coach named Inter Milan midfielder Piotr Zielinski as the new captain.
The Barcelona forward took to social media to confirm that he will no longer play for the team as long as Probierz is in charge.
Lewandowski wrote: “Taking into account the circumstances and a loss of trust in the coach, I have decided to resign from playing for the Poland national team for as long as he remains in charge.
“I hope I will still have another chance to play again for the best fans in the world.”
Lewandowski was unhappy that he had been stripped of the captain’s armband by Probierz.
However, Probierz announced his resignation as the coach of the team on Thursday a few days after the 2-1 defeat to Finland.
He said: “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.
“Performing this function was the fulfilment of my professional dreams and the greatest honour in my life.
“Thank you, of course, to all the footballers I have had the pleasure of meeting along the way. I will keep my fingers crossed for all of you, because the national team is our common national asset.”
Lewandowski made his Poland debut in 2008 and had been captain since 2014.
He holds the Polish record for caps, with 158, and goals, with 85 — 37 more than the country’s next highest scorer, Wlodzimierz Lubanski.
Probierz had been coach since September 2023. He led Poland to the Euro 2024 finals where they failed to win a game and were eliminated in the group stage.
In his 21 matches in charge he won nine, drew five and lost seven.
Lewandowski is Poland’s record goalscorer with 85 goals in 158 appearances.
