PZPN

From the U-21s to the senior national team

"I would like to thank the players who took part in the training camps, as well as their club managers. I would like to extend special thanks to manager Niels Frederiksen, who has himself participated in the Under-21 European Championship twice, and in recent days declared his cooperation regarding his players," Brzęczek began.

Since September 2025, a total of 42 players have taken part in five U-21 national team training camps. Seven of them – Sławomir Abramowicz, Wojciech Mońka, Wiktor Nowak, Oskar Pietuszewski, Kacper Potulski, Marcel Reguła, and Filip Rózga – later made it to the senior Poland national team. The Under-21s also helped Kacper Urbański and Maxi Oyedele rediscover their form, both of whom had already debuted for the senior squad.

"Maxi has great potential and you wouldn't know he isn't playing for his club. Previously, before I called him up to the national team, I judged him slightly differently as a player. There are certain nuances that you will not spot from the stands or on television. I had a similar experience previously with Jakub Moder. I thought about Maxi in the context of the right-back position, because I saw him in that role at his club. Ultimately, we have not implemented this idea for now, but it remains an option. In the attacking phase, he would play as a number six or a number eight."

Brzęczek also praised Wiktor Nowak, who played in various positions in his team, and during the September-October international break was a leading figure in the team managed by Jan Urban.

"I am not surprised by his performances. In defence, he played as a right-back for us, and in attack, as a number ten. He is versatile, disciplined, can win the ball back, and at the same time cross, shoot with both feet, or operate in tight spaces. He is an incredibly positive young man who has been through a lot. Manager Mariusz Misiura has had a huge influence on him. He is the type of player who, upon moving to a club in a top-five league, will quickly become a dressing room favourite."

The head coach also drew attention to Michał Gurgul, who he believes has the potential to become the best left-back in Poland in the future.

"He has been performing very well at Lech. He never drops below a certain standard. He is very reliable."

He also spoke warmly of Antoni Kozubal, mentioning him when asked about the player who reminds him most of himself.

"Antek is a better player than I was, but on and off the pitch, he often reminds me of myself. He has character – he is unassuming, but does incredibly important work. He knows how to manage a group. He has a great chance of becoming a good manager, but let him play football for a bit longer."

New players and emerging talents

The September-October training camp was the first U-21 call-up for seven of the 25 squad members. Daniel Bąk, Bright Ede, Bartosz Mazurek, Dariusz Stalmach, and Jakub Żewłakow made their debuts in the match against Sweden. For the latter, it was his first appearance for his country at any age-group level.

"For me, Jakub Żewłakow is a left-winger who likes to cut inside. He has a fantastic strike on him – he scored the exact same goal as he did against Italy during his very first training session with our team. He is a ‘crazy’, unpredictable player. His balance and his movement make him difficult to read," assessed Brzęczek.

He also has high hopes for Bartosz Mazurek.

"He is a typical box-to-box player. He is a joy to watch. I believe we have only had him with us once. I hope he will continue to focus on his football so that he can become a star of the game in the future."

The head coach emphasised that integrating young players into the national team requires the right approach and a focus on their development off the pitch as well.

"We have players with great potential, but it is crucial to integrate them into the national team properly. From my observations, proper oversight is essential so that these lads do not lose their way. I am referring to their lives outside of football."

He also drew attention to the importance of effectively conveying information during training camps.

"Sometimes less is more. New players are emotional and get stressed, which is why we do not overload them with information. The entire coaching staff stays on the same page, in accordance with the plan prepared before the start of the qualifying campaign. As a result, every player receives consistent information. At a later stage, we focus on positional and individual briefings. These meetings are very short, which makes them effective."

A playing model tailored to the players

Brzęczek emphasised that the Under-21 national team's style of play is closely linked to the profile of the called-up players. The coaching staff tries to utilise tactical patterns they are familiar with from their clubs, which makes it easier to prepare the team in a short space of time.

"Our playing model is linked to the players we have at our disposal. We utilise many patterns of play from their clubs, which makes them easier to implement during a short training camp. When going forward, we switch to a back three, two midfielders, and a front five. We make the most of every training session so that the players quickly develop the right habits."

The head coach also revisited the defeat against Italy, pointing out the elements that did not work as intended.

"There were a few details in our immediate preparation for the match that I overlooked during training. This had an impact on our defensive behaviour. We were poor at compressing the pitch, our midfielders had to do a lot of running, and the Italians exploited the resulting spaces. That is why I said I take full responsibility for this defeat."

"We wanted to start the match with long passes from Marcel Łubik, who can launch the ball 60-70 metres without a run-up. However, we played the long ball too often and lost possession quickly. I didn't quite get that idea right," he admitted.

Despite the disappointing end to the training camp, the head coach assessed the work of the entire group positively.

"At every training camp, the new group managed to adapt to the training framework and playing model. The results confirm this. We could see that the players are proud to be in the squad and appreciate the standard of the training sessions. Despite the painful defeat at the end, as a coaching staff, we emphasised that we were highly impressed with their work during the camp."

Brzęczek also pointed out that the number of strikers or attacking players does not guarantee goals.

"We must prepare the team to look for solutions. Since we do not have successors to Robert Lewandowski with his specific profile, we have to find alternative options."

The European Championship is the second goal

Following the conclusion of the qualifying campaign, the national team still has a November training camp ahead, followed by a longer break. During this time, the coaching staff will be preparing for the final tournament, also drawing on experiences from previous European Championships.

"Our ambitions and my dreams do not end with us coming home from the tournament after three matches. We have fulfilled our first dream; now we will play friendlies in November, and then there will be a longer break. It is going to be an interesting tournament. We are past the first stage. We are going to the Championship to fulfil our second dream. We are capable of playing good football and achieving this."

The head coach announced that the national team will want to test itself against tough opposition.

"We will draw on our experiences from previous European Championships. We have a lot of data and footage. It will not be easy, but we will try to organise friendlies against top European opponents. We will know more after the draw. Perhaps in March, we will manage to face one of the heavyweights."

At the same time, he realises that the road to the final tournament does not end with merely qualifying, and the squad may still change.

"On the board behind me, you can see 42 names, but I am certain that someone new will still break through. It is also obvious that many of them will be disappointed in June, because the competition is fierce and not everyone will make the squad."

An additional challenge could be the availability of foreign-based players and the dates of the senior national team's training camps.

"There might be a situation where foreign clubs do not release their players for the Championship. In June, the senior national team will also have a training camp, which is why we will be prepared for various scenarios. We have plenty of time, but we will certainly talk to Jan Urban's coaching staff about the best solutions. They have priority, and we will adapt."

Brzęczek also announced that he intends to speak with clubs about player availability for the final tournament at the very beginning of the year. He emphasised that provisional call-ups to the senior squad are an important element of planning work with the Under-21s.

Cooperation between the national teams

An essential element of the preparations is cooperation with the other youth national teams and the senior national team.

"I work with the U-20 national team head coach, Miłosz Stępiński. That team is our immediate backup and is incredibly important to us. Thanks to them, we are covered. When I receive the list of provisional call-ups for the senior squad from Jan Urban, we prepare for the eventuality that a given number of players actually make the 'A' squad. In such situations, we often use players from the U-20 national team."

The head coach also praised the work of Rafał Lasocki, who is currently the head coach of the U-17 national team (the 2010 age group).

We must mention head coach Rafał Lasocki, who has had a huge influence on the development of the players from the 2007 age group. Sometimes he also helps us when it comes to analysis."

Brzęczek also addressed the situation of Tomasz Pieńko, the captain of the U-21 national team, who plays for Raków Częstochowa.

"I live in Częstochowa and we often meet. He has produced very good numbers throughout the qualifying campaign. He did not have a good game last time out, but he has my support. In the difficult moment that Raków finds itself in, he must show his manager that he can be relied upon."

The dream of the Olympic Games

Finally, the head coach returned to memories of his own career and his participation in the Olympic Games. This experience remains an important motivation for him in his work with the youth national team.

"When I took on this job over a year ago, I remembered those wonderful moments when we competed at the Olympic Games. It is my dream to qualify for them, although I know it will be incredibly tough."