Lewandowski, Poland’s all-time top scorer and most-capped player, withdrew from international duty ahead of Tuesday's 2–1 World Cup qualifying loss to Finland, saying he would not return as long as Probierz remained in charge.
The decision was followed by Probierz’s move to strip the Barcelona forward of the captain’s armband and name Inter Milan midfielder Piotr Zieliński his replacement.
Speaking to Polish state news agency PAP, Kulesza said that Lewandowski’s return would depend entirely on the new coach.
"That will not be my decision—it will be the decision of the new manager," Kulesza said. "I don’t interfere in squad selections. That’s why we hire a coach—to decide who gets called up. If the coach believes Robert should be back, he’ll likely call him up."
Kulesza, who heads the Polish Football Association (PZPN), said he wants to appoint a new coach as soon as possible, ideally someone familiar with the domestic football scene.
"We have to review all available candidates who are currently not under contract," he said. "It has to be someone who knows the Polish market and our players. I can’t imagine hiring someone who doesn’t know the names or isn’t familiar with the squad."
He mentioned four candidates currently without coaching jobs: Jan Urban, Jacek Magiera, Adam Nawałka and Jerzy Brzęczek—with Nawałka and Brzęczek both having previously served as national team coaches.
Kulesza also commented on Probierz’s resignation, saying the coach called him late on Wednesday to inform him of the decision.
"He told me he’d thought about it for a long time and made up his mind. I accepted it," Kulesza said.
Poland's defeat to Finland in Helsinki dealt a blow to the team’s chances of securing automatic qualification for next year’s World Cup in North America.
Despite the setback, Kulesza said he still believes Poland can qualify for the tournament.
"How could I not believe?" he said. "We all do. We know we’ll face Finland again in September—at home. That match will be decisive."
Poland began its World Cup qualifying campaign in March with with a 1-0 home win over Lithuania, followed by a 2-0 victory against Malta.
After three rounds of qualifiers, Poland sit third in their qualifying Group G with six points. Finland lead the group with seven points from three games, followed by the Netherlands with six points from two matches.
Poland will face the Netherlands away on September 4 and host Finland on September 7 in their next World Cup qualifiers.
The top two teams in each group will qualify automatically.
The 2026 World Cup will be held in June and July next year in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Poland reached the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar before being eliminated by eventual runners-up France.
(gs)
Source: IAR, PAP