Michniewicz: Lewandowski is an inspiration to whole Poland squad

Fifa

Poland kick off their qatar 2022 campaign against mexico on 22 november before facing saudi arabia and argentina

Czeslaw michniewicz took charge of robert lewandowski and co ahead of their play-off against sweden

The 52-year-old explains his tactical approach and recalls how he felt on being named poland coach

Czeslaw michniewicz was appointed as poland head coach on 31 january, giving him very little time to prepare himself and his team for their crucial play-off against sweden. After just a few training sessions and a 1-1 friendly draw against scotland, the 52-year-old former goalkeeper withstood his baptism of fire to lead the poles to a 2-0 victory against sweden and book their place at the fifa world cup™ finals in qatar.

In this interview with fifa+, the eagles 'head coach provides a fascinating insight into how he has been getting on since taking up the reins. He also discusses how his coaching team work together, his tactical philosophy and his team’s superstar, robert lewandowski.

Fifa+: how does it feel to be named head coach of your country’s national team? What were your expectations and goals when you took on the job?

Czeslaw michniewicz: the beginning of the year was downright crazy. The previous coach's unexpected departure paved the way for me to take on the most important job of my life. Being appointed to this position was a dream come true for me, but I also knew how challenging the task ahead was. Perhaps what surprised me the most after I was appointed was what started to happen around me. I've been working in football for a long time, and i' ve faced pressure more than once, but that pressure multiplies when you're the head coach of a national team. My family, in particular, hadn' t realised beforehand how much pressure is involved with having a family member in this position.

As I was appointed to the job less than two months before the start of the play-offs, we got straight to work. I set off around europe to visit our players, talk to them and explain my philosophy to them. It was an intense few weeks, but I know now that without that sacrifice, we wouldn’t have been able to create a positive atmosphere before the first national team training camp in march.

Your first task was to qualify for the world cup. Did you feel any pressure ahead of the match against sweden? After all, it was all or nothing in your first competitive game.

It was an unprecedented situation that had a huge impact on our preparations. From the moment I was appointed, we were fully focused on preparing for the match against russia. Yet after a month and the disqualification of the russia team, we had to throw all that work in the bin and start thinking entirely about sweden and the czech republic, so the pressure was enormous. It was one match against a very difficult opponent. We were also aware of the expectations of the polish fans – and the game was played at home.

With all that in mind, we prepared meticulously for the match. By the time it arrived, I even knew which swedish player’s girlfriend hosts a morning tv show, who collects watches and who comes from which family. That’s part of my job, because I want to know as much as possible about each opponent. At the end of the day, however, it was the players who stepped onto the pitch and executed the plan as expected. After all, if even one piece of the jigsaw had been missing, we probably wouldn’t be flying to the world cup.

How happy are you, the team and the staff that poland will be following up their campaign at the 2018 tournament by travelling to qatar 2022?

The joy after the final whistle was enormous and there were many emotional moments. We have some experienced players in our team who've already played at several tournaments, and before the match against sweden they felt that the trip to qatar might be their last chance to play at the world cup. I remember how, as the players were waiting in the tunnel before going out onto the pitch, wojciech szczesny shouted to his team-mates to remember that this would be the last chance for a few of them. Playing at the world cup is important for everyone – the federation, the players, the staff, the journalists and, above all, the fans, to whom we want to deliver as much joy as possible on the pitch.

What is your footballing philosophy? What approach do you take and what are your signature tactics?

My aim is for my team to play matches on their terms. That means properly preparing for each opponent and tailoring our tactics specifically with them in mind. That’s why we pay a lot of attention to analysing our rivals. The role of the coach is to know his opponents so well that they can talk about them for hours. However, the players only need to know the essence, and it’s our responsibility as coaches to pass that on to them. We also want to be flexible. We’re not committed to a particular formation. We can start the match with three centre-backs and then switch to playing two of them depending on how the game unfolds. I would like my players to have certain mechanisms built in so that we try to find space and let the ball run. That’s the focus of our work.

The world cup gets under way in qatar in just a matter of days. How much are you looking forward to it?

I’m definitely looking forward to it. It will be my first time as a coach at a tournament like this, so the excitement is huge. It will certainly be an unique tournament and a beautiful one too, I hope. I’m convinced the conditions in qatar will be very good and that we won’t lack for anything. I’ve already seen our base and there’s nothing to complain about.

You face mexico, saudi arabia and argentina in group c. What are you expecting from them?

We are playing three non-european teams, so it’s harder for us to watch our opponents’ matches in person. While there’s no doubt we will face three challenging rivals and three very difficult matches, we’re trying to keep up to date with our observations of our opponents. My colleagues and I have already managed to watch several of mexico and argentina’s matches live at the stadiums. Many players from these countries also play in europe, so we’re trying to keep an eye on their club games too – but I always concentrate on the next opponent. Our first match is against mexico, so all our attention is focused on them right now.

How do you rate poland’s chances of making it to the knockout stages?

Going through to the knockout stages would meet our expectations as well as those of the fans and journalists. We have an interesting squad, including a world-class star in robert lewandowski, [other] players who play a leading role for their clubs in europe’s best leagues, and some extremely talented young players. That blend of youth and experience is definitely an advantage for us. I want the fans to love us and see a team out on the pitch who fight and give their best. Of course, going through would be a success, but we know what a tough task awaits us.

Apart from his obvious qualities as a world-class footballer, what significance does robert lewandowski have for the poland team?

Robert is a fantastic player and someone that every team in the world would want in their line-up. Although he’s a striker, he does much more for our team than just score goals. He’s a true captain not just on the pitch but also off it. He’s a role model, particularly for young players. At national-team training camps, I often see him talking to the young players and giving them advice. Our co-operation is going very well. We talk a lot about what could be done better when it comes to the team. Robert really wanted to go to this world cup, and it was evident that he did everything he could to make that happen. That attitude filtered down through the entire team. Robert is an excellent ambassador for polish football.

Which of your young players have particularly impressed you and could spring a positive surprise in qatar?

I know many of the players i’m now calling up for the national team very well from my work with the u-21 national side, which certainly made it easier for them to step up to the first team. They knew how I work and we talked a lot before the first training camp, which made things easier for all of us when I first took the job. It also had an impact on the whole national team and the atmosphere within it. However, we should remember that there are also players in our team who are young and promising. I’m thinking of nicola zalewski at roma or jakub kaminski at wolfsburg. They’re great players who can contribute a lot to our squad.

Who would you say are the favourites going into qatar 2022?

The best teams from around the globe are going to the world cup, which makes it difficult to single one out as the favourite. Both of the sides we played in the nations league, belgium and the netherlands, are capable of achieving very good results. Defending champions france will certainly be among the favourites. Brazil and argentina are always in the mix too, and it’s likely that there will also be a dark horse at the tournament.