Poland manager Jan Urban said that “I just treat it as an unfortunate statement,” referring to the public remarks made by his defender.
The final Swedish goal, scored by Viktor Gyökeres after a cross from Patrik Wålemark and after beating Przemysław Frankowski, exposed defensive flaws in the White-and-Reds’ backline after a 3–1 defeat to Sweden in the UEFA Nations League. Central defender Przemysław Wiśniewski became the focal point of controversy after he stopped marking the Arsenal striker at a moment, drawing media and football attention.
Wiśniewski Defends Italian School of Marking
After the final whistle in Sweden, the center-back explained in front of the Kanał Sportowy cameras that his decision was fully deliberate. According to the player, the error stemmed from the specific nature of defensive training acquired during his stints on Italian pitches, where—as he claimed—in zonal marking everyone is responsible for a strictly defined position on the pitch. Wiśniewski pointed out at the time that, upon seeing the player marked by Matty Cash make a run, he deliberately stopped tracking Gyökeres, relying on the wing-back for cover. Publicly shifting the blame onto his teammates and citing foreign habits caused an uproar among fans and pundits, including former internationals such as Kamil Glik.
Urban Rejects Defender’s Tactical Defense
Jan Urban publicly distanced himself from the theories presented by the player, dismissing his arguments as flawed. The national team coach stressed that citing systemic differences in Spain, Italy, or France is an abuse, because the style of work depends on a specific manager and the conditions at a given club. As he explained in statements to SportoweFakty, a player changing clubs or tactical systems has an absolute duty to adapt to the requirements, failing which he loses his place in the squad.
The coach precisely pointed out how a class defender should have behaved in the described situation. According to the coach’s words quoted by Lodzkisport, in case of any doubts, the simplest and most effective solution is a decisive attack on the ball to clear it, which protects the team regardless of the number of opponents in the penalty box. Urban also emphasized in an interview with Weszło that although the national team struggles with problems defending set pieces—improvements for which there is a lack of time in the intensive training calendar—the ultimate decisions on the pitch are made by the player himself.
Squad Changes Made Before Romania Match
According to reports by journalists published on Onet, Przemysław Wiśniewski was ultimately left out of the matchday squad for the upcoming fixture. The White-and-Reds are preparing for a home match against Romania, after which they also face an away return leg against Bosnia and Herzegovina in League B, where the team’s points tally stands at just one point after two played matchdays.