Dariusz Wołowski, Interia: When we talked before the matches with Andorra and Hungary, you argued that the latter is definitely more important. Paulo Sousa saw it differently. The main line-up with Robert Lewandowski played in Andorra, while yesterday the reserve team entered the National Stadium. They lost 1-2, which means that Poland will probably not be seeded in the play-offs for the World Cup in Qatar.
Jerzy Dudek, former Polish representative: – I still can’t understand what Sousa did. I understand the rotation, but yesterday’s team should play in Andorra. There, the rival was an amateur team, the match was played on artificial grass, which threatened to injure Lewandowski, Piotr Zieliński or Kamil Glik. Meanwhile, the leaders fought the exotic opponent, and rested with the dangerous Hungarians. Sousa turned everything upside down. And he must take responsibility for it.
What do we need to do if we play for the World Cup in Qatar with Portugal, Italy, Sweden or Russia? And it’s away. And when tied with Hungary, you could face North Macedonia or Finland in Poland.
– After the match with Hungary, I talked for a while with Kamil Glik. He too was surprised by Sousa’s line-up. In Budapest, at the start of his term of office, he resigned from Glik, yesterday in the rematch with Hungary he sent him back to the bench so that he would not catch the card and exclude himself from the March play-offs. If the general manager did not place the leaders in Hungary, he disregarded the team’s fans to some extent. Bad energy and pessimism crept on the stands, which we will have to live with at least until March. Let me repeat: Lewandowski could rest in Andorra if he was tired. It cannot be that the national team coach spares his captain for the weak Augsburg. If Bayern Munich even lost to Augsburg on Friday, they will do it in the next league round. Meanwhile, Poland will not make up for its defeat with Hungary. Unless he defeats Italy and Portugal in the play-offs and goes to Qatar. But that’s only in March. The frustration after the match against Hungary will last for four months.
Rivals such as Italy, Portugal, Sweden, even Russia are not beyond the reach of Poles? Especially in away matches.
– Fortunately not. Portugal is a team in the twilight phase. Italy also has a crisis after its success at Euro 2020. Of course, both will be the big favorites for the play-offs. Poland must fight for the third place awarded with promotion. The matches with the big ones mobilize our players. We had an example at Euro 2020, where Sousa’s team lost to Slovakia and Sweden, but tied to Spain in Seville. The match against the Slovaks was the worst one by Sousa’s team so far. The one with Hungary is the worst since yesterday. You have to pick up after it. Maybe an icy shower before the play-offs was needed by this team?
The Hungarians did not play for anything. But they defeated the Poles who really wanted a draw.
– And now they probably spit on the chin for defeats with Albania. If it weren’t for them, they would be playing in the play-offs. They feel stronger than Poland. They scored four points against the Sousa team. They seem to have given them nothing, but they do have satisfaction.
You have no regrets about Sousa’s players?
– I can understand them. The team deprived of leaders lacked maturity, peace, and field experience. They did what they could. But there was no one on the pitch to lead the team. He set an example for others. There were times that Sousa had made a mistake with the starting eleven, but he corrected his mistakes during the game. This time he failed at absolutely nothing. He saved Lewandowski, why didn’t Arek Milik play from the beginning?
So now we are waiting for the March judgment in the play-offs.
– We can’t give up. Maybe fate will spare us games with Portugal and Italy in the play-offs? You have to pull yourself together. The World Cup is not lost yet. Playing in the strongest squad, Poland is able to cause surprises, even sensations. Or maybe today in other groups such things will happen that we do not dream about and we will be placed in the play-offs? Sousa’s decisions made the journey to Qatar difficult, but as long as it is not closed, it must be followed. It is a pity that you have to wait so long for the play-offs, and chew this gloomy mood after Hungary for four months. It was possible and even had to be avoided. We will remember the match with Hungary as Paulo Sousa’s biggest mistake.
The interview was conducted by Dariusz Wołowski
