UEFA EURO 2024: Poland fights day and night for Lewandowski

UEFA EURO 2024

Will he play or won’t he play? That is the question that Polish football fans are asking themselves these days. It concerns Robert Lewandowski, who missed the European Championship opener against the Netherlands due to a muscle injury and is expected to be ready to play again on Friday against Austria (6 p.m., Servus TV). Coach Michael Probierz left that open. The medical department sometimes worked until 2 a.m. to get all the players fit.

21.06.2024 00.00

Online since today, 00:00

The day before the match, the Polish team manager left the Austrians unsurprisingly in the dark about Lewandowski. The former world footballer has been back in full training for three days after his muscle injury. So it can be assumed that he will be on the field – at least as a “joker”.

“Robert makes a big difference. The Austrian team will not be happy that he is fit,” said Poland’s goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny. Lewandowski is the best Polish player of all time. “The fact that he will be on the field will change our entire approach – and that of our opponents too.” The Juventus Turin goalkeeper left no doubt about the importance of the duel: “It is our little final, the most important moment of the tournament.”

ORF/Bernhard Kastler The big question for Poland is: How ready is star striker Robert Lewandowski?

“There is a big difference between having the best player in the world on the bench and having him on the pitch,” explained Probierz. Lewandowski was in a cold chamber several times a day. “At the moment, all players can be selected – including Robert Lewandowski,” said Probierz on Thursday afternoon in Berlin.

In any case, ÖFB team manager Ralf Rangnick is counting on Lewandowski. “We assume that he will play.” The 65-year-old German is also counting on Karol Swiderski, who was injured while celebrating a goal.

“Most dangerous when they don’t have the ball”

The aggressiveness of the Austrians has also been a big topic for days. The team that (accidentally) broke Kylian Mbappe’s nose and (equally accidentally) cut Antoine Griezmann and has already received five yellow cards is generally considered to be a physical team. “It’s not just about aggression against aggression,” said 51-year-old Probierz, who was promoted from the U21s to the senior team manager last September and has only been defeated by the Netherlands so far.

“It’s also about playing football.” Szczesny struck a similar note. “There will be a lot of physical effort. We have to be smart,” said the 34-year-old, who gave dubious praise. “Austria is most dangerous when they don’t have the ball.”

Bernhard Kastler, ORF.at, from Berlin

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