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Although he has not officially retired from international duty, Barcelona talisman Robert Lewandowski has vowed not to play for Poland again under Michal Probierz – and the reason behind his surprise announcement has been revealed.
Now that domestic football has come to a close for another season, all eyes are on international proceedings – and Poland, in an attempt to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, have meetings with Finland and the Netherlands in the coming months.
As they look to determine their fate ahead of the international showpiece, they’ve been rocked to their core after Lewandowski, a 158-cap, 85-goal international, announced that he will not be playing while Probierz, 52, remains in charge.
Why Lewandowski Has Withdrawn From International Duty
Appointed in September 2023, Probierz – who has bossed the dugouts across Europe in his managerial career – is looking to see out Lewandowski’s final years as Poland’s marksman as the ex-Bayern Munich man turns 37 in August of this year.
But he will not be able to rely on the seasoned striker’s potency in the coming months – but why? Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Lewandowski – who is widely regarded as one of the best strikers in football history – wrote the following:
The former Borussia Dortmund marksman's announcement came just hours after Poland confirmed Probierz's decision to strip him of his captaincy duties, handing the armband to Piotr Zielinski instead. Incredibly, that honour has been Lewandowski's since 2014, when he succeeded Jakub Blaszczykowski in the role.
Warsaw born, Lewandoswki withdrew from Poland's international camp for June after informing Probierz that he was 'mentally tired' after a long, drawn-out season with Hansi Flick's Barcelona, who won a domestic treble. He was, therefore, absent from their 2-0 win over Moldova on Friday.