- On Sunday evening, Poland lost 0-2 against Italy in the League of Nations match. Jerzy Brzęczek’s charges played terrible
- Right after the clash, Robert Lewandowski was unable to answer the TVP reporter’s question about how the national team was to play. His reaction must be interpreted as hitting the manager
- From the beginning of his work with the team, Brzęczek defends the theory that he is “unloved” by journalists. After Sunday events, the question should be asked whether he is “loved” by his own captain
- More such stories can be found on the Onet.pl home page
After the October clashes, it was possible to believe that the team jumped on the right track and was making progress, but the Italians brought us to the ground. The most important thing, however, happened not in the Mapei Stadium turf, but in the interview zone. – What was the plan for this match? What were the tips you were supposed to do? – asked Robert Lewandowski, TVP reporter Jacek Kurowski. And the captain of the White and Reds was eloquently silent. Earlier, he said that “we are definitely not a team that can play equally with Italy. But today we also looked bad tactically”.
In the post-match studio of Kanał Sportowy, the former Polish representative, Jakub Wawrzyniak, assessed that “Lewy” probably got carried away. While the captain has a right to feel frustrated after Sunday’s game, of course, I don’t buy a similar translation. Lewandowski is a seasoned player not only on the pitch. When he makes a criticism or a controversial opinion, it’s not because he has lost his temper. He says exactly what he wants to say. This was the case when he hit Bayern’s transfer policy and when he explained after the qualifying game in North Macedonia that sometimes the squad “get tired of themselves”. It is clear to me that by silent after asking about the idea for Italy and adding an ironic smile, he did not vent his frustration, but sent a message. This silence weighs much more than words.
Poles’ helplessness in the match against Italy is not Brzęczek’s biggest problem. It is difficult to interpret Lewandowski’s behavior other than as a vote of no confidence in the team captain towards the manager. Now all the saints, with the coach and the footballer himself at the forefront, will probably ease the matter and explain that it’s not like that, but the milk has spilled out.
Ever since Brzęczek took the reins of the national team, he stubbornly created a narrative that he was unloved by unjust journalists who shot him blindly. The reaction of “Lewy”, however, prompts the question of whether the selector is “loved” by his own captain? If the cooperation between them was exemplary, would Lewandowski consciously say words that would trigger an avalanche of speculation? Most likely, the most difficult time as a selector is coming for Brzęczek. Previously, the coach had a problem with the media hitting him, and now the most important figure of the representation has hit him.
I really liked the assessment of the match that Kamil Glik made in front of the TVP Sport cameras. The message was clear: at the moment we have nothing to look for with teams like the Italians, because we are too weak. And there is nothing to discuss here. Brzęczek’s problem is that we constantly look at his representation through the prism of Nawałka. The coach and his supporters could now say: “Sorry, gentlemen, Italians are too high a shelf. No matter what they did, we won’t jump any higher. You can’t.” Euro 2016 showed, however, that it is possible. Four years ago Nawałka, who had very similar “human material”, played with the Germans as equals, and if anyone else claimed that one swallow does not make spring, he would scare Portugal strongly.
Meanwhile, the team of Brzęczek against the background of strong rivals is a team that is scared, helpless, waiting for the lowest penalty. Nobody really expects his team to throw three goals in Italy, and Jacek Góralski will “spin” Nicolo Barella. It’s just about going out to such matches with any idea. And they tried to play football, even at times. Today, in the clashes with the larger ones, we limit ourselves to disturbing, and on Sunday we could not even do it and we were just extras.
I myself recently appealed to “Przegląd Sportowy” not to go to extremes. After the Mapei game, we are not the worst team in the world, just as we were not champions after winning over Finland or Bosnia. However, since just over half a year before the Euro the most important person on board between the lines asks the control tower if a pilot is flying with us, we really have a problem.
And it is much greater than a defeat against a stronger opponent after a hopeless match.
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