Urban targets Lewandowski return after taking Poland job
Robert Lewandowski refused to play for Poland under Michal Probierz, but he could return to the fold after Jan Urban took over as coach.
Jan Urban will attempt to entice Robert Lewandowski back into the Poland setup after succeeding Michal Probierz, who resigned after a row with the Barcelona striker.
Probierz quit after less than two years at the helm last month, after star forward Lewandowski said he would not play under him.
Lewandowski said he had been "betrayed" by Probierz after being stripped of the captaincy and made himself unavailable for the June international window, when Poland beat Moldova 2-0 then lost 2-1 to Finland in World Cup qualifying.
Those results dropped them to third in Group G, behind Finland and the Netherlands, putting them in severe danger of missing a major tournament for the first time since the 2014 World Cup.
The Polish Football Association confirmed on Wednesday that Urban, who previously served as an assistant coach when Poland finished bottom of their group at Euro 2008, had taken the reins.
The 63-year-old began his coaching career with Osasuna's youth sides in 1999 and has won five trophies in Poland, including the top-flight title with Legia Warsaw in 2012-13.
Urban's foremost aim is to bring Lewandowski back into the fold, and reports suggest the 36-year-old is open to returning.
"I'll do everything so that Robert comes back, because we know what situation Polish football is in," Urban said.
"As of today, we can't afford to not have Robert in this team. We've been to many tournaments recently and, in the vast majority of cases, it was Robert who helped us qualify.
"I won't evaluate the situation from a distance, but I'll definitely have the chance to speak with Robert. I won't have a problem going to talk with him."
Lewandowski is Poland's most-capped player and their all-time leading goalscorer, having netted 85 times in 158 international appearances.
He played 52 times across all competitions for Barcelona last season, netting 42 goals as Hansi Flick's team won LaLiga, the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de Espana.
Poland have two crucial World Cup qualifiers to come in September, as they travel to the Netherlands before hosting Finland.
