Saint Petersburg (AFP)

Often attractive but rarely winning, Poland has entrusted its fate to a foreign coach, the Portuguese Paulo Sousa, a strong bet intended to reinvigorate the team of Robert Lewandowski, which launches its Euro against Slovakia, Monday (6:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m. GMT) in St. Petersburg.

In the land of "pilka nozna" ("football" in Polish), the Whites and Reds are usually not the business of a coach born outside the borders.

The appointment, last January, of Sousa, the third non-Pole to occupy the post after the Hungarian Gyula Biro (1924) and the Dutch Leo Beenhakker (2006-2009), thus created a shock wave.

Six months before the start of the Euro, the president of the Federation Zbigniew Boniek has decided to try a blow with the former Portuguese international midfielder, free since his shattering departure from Bordeaux in July 2020.

Since a third place at the 1982 World Cup, with as a star ... Boniek, Poland has not reached the last four of a major competition, despite the emergence of Lewandowski.

The Bayern Munich superstar certainly played a quarter-final, at Euro-2016, lost to Portugal, future winner, after a merciless shootout (1-1 ap, 5-3 tab) .

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- Milik package -

But he also has two eliminations from the group stage, at Euro-2012 and at the World-2018.

Too little given the immense talent of the one who has just broken Gerd Müller's legendary record of goals scored in a Bundesliga season (41).

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The draw for the Euro has reserved a complicated Group E for the Poles, who after Slovakia, will face Spain and Sweden.

"It's a key game (Monday). One of our goals is to get out of our squad," Sousa recalled on Sunday.

The coach revised the strategy around Lewandowski, switching from 4-2-3-1 of his predecessor Jerzy Brzeczek to 3-5-2 which allows the Munich player to be supported by another striker.

The post was to fall to Arkadiusz Milik, but the Marseille player, hit in a knee, had to forfeit the Euro.

His absence comes on top of that of Hertha Berlin striker Krzysztof Piatek, who suffered an ankle injury.

"I relied 100% on Milik and Piatek, but I remain a positive person. It is an opportunity for Karol (Swiderski) and + Kuba + (Jakub Swierczok)", released the coach.

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Defense, Poland's strength in 2016, is also stuck, according to observers.

"When you bring a break, you have to create a new base, with strong convictions. I have not had luck with absences, but the players understand better and better (my ideas)", continued Sousa, always optimistic.

- Departure rumors -

One of the effects of the Portuguese's touch is felt in the atmosphere within the group.

"It has been the best training camp I have attended in the national team. We are a team more than ever," assured Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.

"The camp was very well organized by the staff," said Grzegorz Krychowiak.

On the images provided by the Federation, we see Sousa close to the players, despite the language barrier, he and his staff speaking English.

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Also despite the rumors that send him to the Turkish club Fenerbahçe after the Euro.

"It's not a rumor, because I have also heard that various clubs are interested in our coach. But he has an important contract with us, and he feels very good here," replied Zbigniew Boniek.

"I watched the training and I liked everything: the discipline, the intensity, the beautiful goals. I'm satisfied," insisted the manager recently.

In Poland, some remember the fate of Leo Beenhakker, in conflict with his Federation because in contact with Feyenoord Rotterdam, which he ended up joining after his ouster in 2009.

Sousa, a risky bet, especially with so little time to prepare?

"I want to make the Poles proud", said the person concerned.

During the preparation, the Polish press criticized his propensity to change the starting eleven from one match to another.

Against Slovakia, the Portuguese has no room for error.

© 2021 AFP