Robert Lewandowski: I can't explain the reasons for latest Poland humiliation

Poland's national football team captain, Robert Lewandowski, called for "significant changes to reach the light at the end of the tunnel" that the squad is currently going through, which became darker after yesterday's defeat to Albania (2-0).

In a televised interview on Poland's state-owned channel, the Barcelona player confessed to feeling "powerless" and "incapable of explaining the reasons" for the disastrous result in Tirana, especially the poor performance displayed by him and his teammates, with just one shot on target and dismal overall performance.

"We've had problems since the beginning of the qualification phase," admitted the Polish star, wondering: "What happened to a team that used to play much better with almost the same lineup?" "I know we have the potential to play better and win," he concluded.

Lewandowski declined to comment on the future of the head coach, Portuguese Fernando Santos, but voices calling for a change in the team's leadership are growing louder. Santos has been heavily criticized for his inconsistent squad selections, including cases like Kamil Grosicki, who was absent during his best periods of form in the league and started when his performance declined.

Yesterday's result complicates Poland's chances of qualifying for the European Championship, leaving them in fourth place in Group E, only above the Faroe Islands and behind Albania (leaders with 10 points) and the Czech Republic and Moldova (tied with 8 points).

With a goal difference of minus 8 and all their away matches ending in defeats, the Polish Eagle needs to turn things around if they want to be present at Euro 2024 in Germany. As it stands, even a second-place finish in the group is in jeopardy, and if they continue in this form, they may have to fight in the play-offs and rely on their good position in the Nations League.

Moreover, the Polish national team, and Lewandowski in particular, have been affected by various controversies. Recently, Lewy was accused of inviting his teammates to a luxury restaurant during the Qatar World Cup and then billing the Polish Federation, which the player denied. The controversy surrounding one of his bodyguards, who was involved in neo-Nazi activities, is also still fresh in people's minds.