PZPN

Zbigniew Boniek about...

Reasons for parting with Adam Nawałka:

As you know, for us, the World Cup ended after only three matches. We hoped that we will offer a better adventure and stronger emotions to our supporters and all Poles. Unfortunately, we did not succeed. There are both victories and failures in sports. Even though we all tried to prepare in the best way possible for the tournament, in terms of sports, logistics and in every other aspect, it turned out that this championship was not a football success for us. It is time for analysis. I spoke with Adam for the past two or three days. We had a lot of ideas, we also expressed the readiness to continue the cooperation. Even today, at 10:00 a.m. the annex to Nawałka's contract was on my desk. However, when we looked at each other and analysed the Polish national team at the moment and in the future, we knew that as friends we would have to face many problems. The Polish national team requires a few adjustments; definitely, they have to be approached with new enthusiasm. I hoped we could find it together with Adam, but when we analysed all the causes of failure and speculated about what it should look like in the future, we decided that our cooperation should end. Adam will be the Polish national team head coach until 30 July. Then we will be looking for a new head coach and try to build a team in a different way.

...the work and success of Adam Nawałka:

I remember October 2013, when I presented the coach Nawałka to you. There were many journalists at the conference, probably even more than today. Everyone looked at the future of Polish football with moderate pessimism because we started from a very difficult position. The Polish national team used to let us down, we lacked successes and I was wondering whom we should employ as the head coach. I picked Adam. My intuition and experience did not disappoint me. Nawałka fulfilled his role perfectly. At the PGE Narodowy Stadium we won a historic victory over the German national team, and then we advanced to the UEFA Euro. At the tournament in France we reached the quarter-finals of the competition. Then we advanced to the World Cup. I will remember it for the rest of my life. We experienced many fantastic moments, everyone was proud of the Polish national team. I haven't been playing football for over 30 years, but I have to admit honestly that I cried after that match with the Germans because we did an incredible and unique thing. I am very grateful to Adam, his coaching staff and the national team created by the head coach for that. Nawałka ends the work with the Polish national team with success and he keeps his head up. The recent worse moments must not determine that everything was wrong. Defeats happen in sports. As the president of the Polish Football Association, the person who managed everything, I do not think we have made any deliberate mistakes. Everyone who works diligently, struggles with problems and they must be aware that sometimes they will make a mistake. Nawałka, even though he is a strong and tough man, is aware of the fact that each successive match in which a defeat could occur would not be a preparation for further steps, for UEFA Euro qualifiers. There would be no optimism and understanding, but only criticism. We are all resistant to something but each of us has his or her limits. It seems to me that the criticism of Adam was a little too sharp and Nawałka was hounded. Certainly, the head coach made some mistakes, but you can see them only at the end of the match. At the beginning, each coach is convinced that he selects the appropriate team. We had a nice staff, nice players, everyone wanted to do everything in the best way possible, but this time it did not work out. There are both great successes and great defeats in sports. I wish Adam great successes in the future. I think that when we meet in a few months, we'll go for a dinner and we will be happy to recall those beautiful moments. Much more than the last two weeks in Russia.

...the decision of Adam Nawałka:

I think that Adam's decision to end the work for the national team was right. It seems to me that he was a little hounded, especially when people were searching for football-related scandals, I do not know why. Everyone must have peace of mind to perform their work in the best way possible. When Adam told me today at 10 a.m. that he decided to leave, I told him that this is probably the best solution for him. Tomorrow he will be a smiling and happy man whom people will like in every part of Poland. Each successive match or defeat would be a huge problem for him. At the beginning, fans and journalists have confidence in each new coach. He may lose some. In case of a defeat at one tournament, it would be far more difficult for him. As a nation we are very demanding in this respect, we like to tease and criticise people and sneer at them. Adam will cope with his life very well. He was leading the Polish national team fantastically for more than four years, and we will remember it. As the only head coach in the history, the work with the national team made him stronger than he was on the day when he took up that position.

...the future of the Polish national team:

We need to think it over, analyse it and start to work again from September. Lack of the head coach will certainly result in some changes in the coaching staff. But at the moment I cannot say anything more about the future. I'm not a man who is playing a double game. Even this morning I thought that our cooperation with Adam will be continued, with minor adjustments. However, we have made a different decision. Now I would now like to rest for a week because I'm tired of it all. Then I will consider the best solution for our national team. At the moment, I haven't decided yet in which direction I want to go, whether to choose a  Polish head coach or a foreign one. I can reassure you that, as usual, I will use my experience and intuition. I'll look for the head coach, who has the best concept. When Nawałka was appointed the head coach, he had almost eight months to prepare the team for the UEFA Euro. The new coach will also have time for appropriate preparations of the team for the next UEFA Euro which we want to participate in. Matches in the League of Nations and friendly matches with the national team of the Czech Republic and the Republic of Ireland will be a good training ground.

...the profile of the new head coach:

On my desk you can find CVs of several coaches for whom work with the Polish national team would be a big challenge. We need an incredibly ambitious coach who knows the Polish football players or who will get to know them quickly. A coach who knows which way to go, how to adjust tactics to the needs of players and to our mentality. On 14 July, before the Polish Super Cup, we have a meeting of the Management Board of the Polish Football Association. I hope that I will be given a free hand in searching for a new head coach. We will not organise any competition; we will appoint the right candidate on our own. We know who is free and who isn't and who would like to work in Poland; we know a lot about football, we have many wise people around us and we will certainly take the best decision possible. Surely, if the new coach is not a Pole, he will have to know several foreign languages to be able to communicate with the team. The strength of the head coach involves also human relations; he has to talk with each of the players. I want to get to know the mindset of the new coach, his knowledge of the Polish football players. Many aspects will determine the choice of the new coach.

...the words of Robert Lewandowski, who said that the Polish national team couldn't do anything more in Russia:

Robert is a fantastic captain, our best player, who - just like the whole team - tried to do his best at the World Cup, but we were defeated; it didn't go well. The players know it themselves. I can reassure you that Lewandowski is a player from whom we will start the building of the new team. He is ready, willing and always does his best in the Polish national team.

Paweł Drażba