Even without going to the World Cup, it still looks like it could be a big summer for Polish football. Plus, a preview of Legia - Widzew

Images via @NewYorkRedBulls and @FCBarcelona on Twitter

It’s been a few weeks since anything has been posted to this website, partly on account of being busy with other things, feeling a bit under the weather and also not really being sure what was worth writing about. Now though, it seems like there is almost too much to write about.

I say this, but it can all be broken down into relatively simple categories. Polish football would’ve enjoyed a better feeling around this summer had World Cup qualification been achieved, but it looks like it could be quite seismic regardless. 

First up, one of the bigger topics of discussion of late has been regarding young Polish-American striker Julian Zakrzewski-Hall. The situation around the 18 year-old forward was first broached as a serious talking point shortly after the MLS season began in late February, when Zakrzewski-Hall started scoring and assisting, and basically hasn’t stopped. 

Having played for the USA’s U-17 team as recently as last November, there is obviously a train of thought, and reportedly the intention of the player, that playing for the full US national team might happen as soon as this summer’s World Cup given the dearth of “proper” strikers available. In the midst of this, Cezary Kulesza has flown to present Zakrewski-Hall’s mother with a Polish shirt and presumably discuss the chances of her son declaring for Poland. It’s not exactly clear as to what Kulesza and the PZPN delegation discussed, or even if the player himself was present at this meeting.

To be frank, I’m not optimistic about the chances of seeing Zakrzewski-Hall play for Poland, especially if his preference is to play for the USA as is rumoured. It is quite clear that the PZPN are serious about trying to persuade him, and given how quick I am to criticise I have to give them credit on this occasion. 

Even if this is in vain, I think it is worth remembering that not every dual-national who is eligible for Poland yearns to play for the team that wants them most. For every Matty Cash and Nicola Zalewski you have a Yarek Gasiorowski or a Miroslav Klose, and it’s entirely possible it’ll go the same way with Zakrzewski-Hall.

When I first started writing about Polish football on this website four years ago, there was an emerging train of thought that thanks to Poland’s EU accession in 2004, this is around the time when emerging, precociously talented second-generation Polish players would be starting to emerge from elite academies. With the possible exception of Maxi Oyedele, this hasn’t really come to fruition just yet, and what would be to say that these dual-nationals might not also decide that the country of their birth is more worth playing for than Poland?

One of the many reasons why Zakrzewski-Hall is most sharply desired by the PZPN at this moment in time is largely due to the fact that Poland’s forward options aren’t getting any younger. There is a question mark over Robert Lewandowski’s retirement from international football (more on that later), Karol Świderski and Krzysztof Piątek are either side of 30 years-old, Arkadiusz Milik has suffered another injury setback and beyond that there is little top-level quality, save for Adam Buksa who is a good but quite one-dimensional striker for me. 

Younger strikers are out there for Poland and doing perfectly well, you think of Mateusz Żukowski having an incredible season in the 2. Bundesliga and teenager Marcel Reguła having a decent year with Zagłębie Lubin. Beyond that, however, it’s hard to see who else might feature for Poland up front in the coming years. 

Personally I’d be pleased to see Zakrzewski-Hall play for Poland, I think he would add a quality that Poland could do with given he is a natural striker with a much better turn of pace than any of the current strikers that receive call-ups. 

More again on the suggestion that Lewandowski may or may not be retiring from international football. Obviously, in the immediate aftermath of Poland’s loss to Sweden it seemed pretty clear that was likely the end of his time in a Poland shirt, but over the last month there have been more and more stories that this actually won’t be the case. Initially we were all quite concerned that the coming friendlies in June would actually be Lewandowski’s last games for Poland, but according to a story by Tomasz Włodarczyk this is not presently thought to be the case. 

I’d be very keen to see Lewandowski continue his national team career, not least because whoever would replace him represents a significant downgrade. A push to appear at another tournament, Euro 2028, would be a great way for what would be a nearly 40 year-old Lewy to sign off from Poland duty. 

Lewandowski’s future at club level is even more uncertain. He will likely finish the season with Barcelona a league champion, but beyond that there is doubt. Barcelona have started to make overtures about extending his contract on a lower salary, but haven’t indicated what kind of role Lewandowski would play. He has mostly been appearing off the bench for large parts of this season, and you imagine if that were to continue it wouldn’t be too much of a hardship. Were his playing time to reduce significantly, then perhaps that would become a problem. 

Then we have the possibility that two Serie A clubs are supposedly circling Lewandowski. There has been rumours of AC Milan for nearly a year at this point, and more recently have been reported offers from Juventus. Neither of these clubs would be offering close to the same salary as he currently earns at Barcelona, but they would guarantee a level of playing time that Barcelona cannot. Apparently the topic of the MLS and Saudi Arabia is still on the table according to the aforementioned Włodarczyk, but you imagine Lewandowski would plump to remain at a top-level European club if he can. 

I opined in the headline that this would nonetheless be a big summer for Polish football, and I think this is true. With the potential that Lewandowski could be on the move, so it would seem other national team players might. It’s all but confirmed that Jakub Kiwior’s time in Porto will become permanent, although whether or not Jakub Kamiński’s fruitful spell at Köln will be extended seems less certain that it did earlier in the year. Beyond that you have questions about where Karol Świderski will be playing next season, as well as uncertainty around Jan Ziółkowski’s future at Roma given his lack of first-team action of late.

I don’t anticipate there will be too many surprise moves for Polish players this summer, although the news that one of my cult favourites in Przemysław Płacheta is heading for the MLS did seem something of a surprise. The aforementioned Marcel Reguła is sought after by several top European clubs, notably Benfica, but reportedly there is some reticence to meet Zagłębie’s €10million asking price. 

Finally, a quick look-ahead to tomorrow night’s relegation showdown between Legia Warszawa and Widzew Łódź. Had somebody said that at the start of the season it would’ve seemed laughable, and yet here are two sides who’ve spent a lot of money on some big names, and it doesn’t seem to have done them any good. 

I said last summer that I was a big fan of some of the business that Legia conducted, but at the end of the day no matter how talented your squad is there has to be some semblance of a plan in place. As someone who has had to endure watching Liverpool this season, I feel like Legia have parallel problems. Talented players not entirely suited to the manager’s vision, coupled with an arguably negligent attitude from those in the sporting director roles. Much like Liverpool, not all of the problems with Legia stem from the managers they have had this year, but something of squad mismanagement from those above. 

I still think Legia just about survive in the Ekstraklasa this season, but last week’s battering at the hands of Lech Poznań should really sharpen Marek Papszun’s mind ahead of the game against Widzew. 

Widzew have also struggled this year despite spending big, and for me a lot of this is down to spending big without the requisite plan in place, not dissimilar to Legia. In my view, tomorrow night could really go either way, although Legia are at home and this might prove advantageous. 

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