PZPN

- We value direct approach because it allows us to take better care of players' individual development. The time has come when a large number of players make their debut for the national team in competitive matches, rather than in league friendlies, began Dorna, emphasising how little separates the youth national teams from the most important senior team. Particularly as they have been linked for several months now by the figure of Michał Probierz, until September the head coach of the U-21 national team, and now of the senior team. It is safe to say that the position held by the 51-year-old has never before in history been held by someone so knowledgeable about youth national teams. When discussing the teams of successive age groups, Probierz was often asked about individual players, revealing a great deal of knowledge about them.

So far, 6 players born in 2002 or later have made their debut for the Polish senior national team: Nicola Zalewski, Jakub Kamiński, Filip Marchwiński, Patryk Peda (all born in 2002) and Kacper Kozłowski and Mateusz Łęgowski (both born in 2003). The head coaches, who all met in Warsaw on Tuesday, are working on a daily basis to ensure that this number grows regularly in the future. However, this will not be possible without the players being recognised by their clubs. - I would like us to think together, after your presentations, about how we can help outstanding players to make their entry into the senior level more efficient, announced Probierz, suggesting that this is one of the burning problems of the whole of Polish football.

The cooperation between the various national teams is becoming increasingly close, and recently there has additionally been a clearer link between them and the senior national team. Currently, more than 6,000 players are monitored using the Information System for Observation and Scouting (ISOS), and the head coaches, members of their staff and scouts of the Polish Football Association carry out a total of around 100 live observations each week, each followed by a detailed report. Since the beginning of Michał Probierz's term as a head coach, the ISOS has also been publishing reports on the players of the senior team. As a result, players are actually monitored until the end of their careers, and not just until their age permits them to play for any of the youth national teams.

Other areas of cooperation are also developing. A group of strength and conditioning coaches led by senior national team staff member Mateusz Oszust has developed a report that must be completed after each national team training camp by the coach in charge of this area in the national team. As a result, a huge database is created. Tactical camera recordings of all matches of each national team are also shared.

After the above information had been given, the floor was taken by the head coaches of the youth national teams, who prepared several-minute long presentations for the meeting on their team's plans for the first half of 2024 and the players who stood out, a part which took up considerably the most time. The coach of the youngest of the national teams (U-15, players born after 2009), Marcin Włodarski, who will be included in Michał Probierz's staff for the March national team training camp, started. Rafal Lasocki (head coach of the U-17 national team, players born after 2007) experienced the same in October, and other managers can expect invitations to join the staff in the future.

Coming back to Tuesday's meeting and coach Włodarski's presentation, he, like coach Lasocki a short while later, has already had his first training session of the year. The U-15 national team played a friendly two-legged tie against Italy (1:1, 2:2), and its head coach analysed selected behaviour of his players in great detail at the forum. He focused on five of them, drew attention to elements brought over from his time working with the players born after 2006, and was pleased to be able to run five full training sessions before the first match.

After Włodarski, the speakers were Dariusz Gęsior (head coach of the U-16 national team), Rafał Lasocki (U-17), Wojciech Kobeszko (covering the U-18 national team, who also discussed the team for players born after 2005), Miłosz Stępiński (U-20) and Adam Majewski (U-21). Each spoke in detail about a few of his chosen players, while giving space to exchange insights with the other coaches and the sporting director. At times the discussion became passionate, with the head coaches discussing players putting forward bold theses and exchanging arguments.

In the second part of the day, the coaches jointly created position maps separately for the U-15 - U-17 and U-18 - U-20 categories. All the materials were handed over to Michał Probierz at the end, and it remains for us to wait for the results of all the participants' work in the form of the next senior players of the Polish national team.