Jacek Bąk for “Wprost”: In the Polish team, we are trying to make stars out of average players

The Polish national team advanced to the Euro 2024 finals as the last team and… was the first to be eliminated from the tournament. After just two rounds of the group stage, we knew that the Polish national team had no mathematical chance of even making it out of the group. This means that in the history of Poland’s appearances at the European Championships, we still have only one qualification to the knockout stage.

Jacek Bąk: We are making stars out of these players

Michał Probierz’s team first lost to the Netherlands 1:2, and then to Austria 1:3. The second defeat was painful, looking at what the Poles showed in the clash with Oranje. In the very end, our players drew with France 1:1. Jacek Bąk has no doubt that the Polish team’s points result could have been better if the line-up had been better assembled in the competition with Austria.

– Before the tournament, many people said that we wouldn’t make it out of the group. We messed up the match with Austria. Comparing our performance to the match with the Netherlands, it simply has to be said that the Poles played poorly. The midfield wasn’t the kind that could play at the European Championships. Bartosz Slisz and Jakub Piotrowski shouldn’t be in the starting line-up. We’re counting on turning average players into stars. In my opinion, they need to prove themselves in better leagues, and for now, one of them is playing in the US and the other in Bulgaria. As for the entire squad, there’s definitely light at the end of the tunnel. We need to give coach Probierz some time – says Jacek Bąk, former captain of the Polish national team, in an interview with “Wprost”.

When the Polish footballers left Germany, the battle for victory in the entire tournament was ongoing in the knockout phase. Ultimately, the Spanish won, winning all the matches (one after extra time). This is one of the few teams that “carried” their form throughout the entire European Championship. Many potentates disappointed their fans with their attitude.

– Sometimes there is a lot of fatigue after a club season, and maybe that was the case. It’s hard to judge from this perspective, but it must be admitted that several strong teams let us down. Personally, I am most disappointed with the performance of the Italians. It was a poor tournament for them. France, with its potential, should have also performed better, but it was Spain that really verified it. England also tired us out with their play, but the fact that they reached the final defends this team a bit – emphasizes Bąk.

Euro 2024. Spain almost perfect

– Spain fully deserved the title. They are a team that plays beautifully and I know that many fans wanted them to win. I would compare the play of Spain and England throughout the tournament to a bit of a musical genre. Spain presented a style that almost everyone likes, and England offered rough football like heavy metal. And that doesn’t necessarily appeal to football fans – he adds.

There were few flaws in the Spaniards’ game. The only thing that could be faulted was the fact that after excellent defensive play in the group stage, Luis de la Fuente’s team conceded one goal in each match from the 1/8 finals onwards. However, the most important thing from their perspective was that they ultimately won all their matches. The great performance at the Euro gives hope that La Furia Roja will return to fighting for medals during the world championships as well.

Jacek Bąk has no doubts that the newly-minted champions of the Old Continent can still make a lot of progress. He also notes that there is room for improvement, even in the middle of the defense.

– Spain is a relatively young team, they can cause quite a stir in the World Cup. I won’t be surprised if this team is even better. During the Euro, the Spaniards operated the ball brilliantly in every match, they carried out tactical tasks. Some players, even on the wings, are still budding. The only thing I don’t really like is the defense. The European champions didn’t avoid mistakes there. I think we need two real center-backs who will keep the defense in check. We have Laporte in good form, but we could use another good player in this area of ​​the pitch. Le Normand doesn’t impress me with his attitude, and Nacho is already a very experienced player. Maybe someone new will jump out for the World Cup – our interlocutor estimates.

Should 24 teams still play at the Euro?

This year’s European Championship was the third one to feature 24 teams. Some call it a small World Cup. Opinions are divided on the number of teams competing for supremacy on the Old Continent.

– You can look at the Euro with 24 teams from two perspectives. We have Georgia, which is doing great, surprising fans and creating a beautiful story. On the other hand, we see that four teams from third places advance from the group, which means that very few teams are eliminated from the tournament after the group stage. I think it shouldn’t be like this. Despite everything, I would be inclined to have the 16 strongest teams from Europe play in such a tournament – ​​concludes Bąk.