Ukrainian specialist Petro Kushlyk, who worked as the head coach of several clubs in Poland from the early 90s to the early 2000s, shared his thoughts on the change in the coaching position of the national team of this country.
Petro Kushlyk— Frankly speaking, this appointment surprised me. I don’t know what the president of the Polish Football Union, Cezary Kulesza, was guided by when inviting Urban to the position of the national team manager. After all, there are currently enough qualified coaches in Polish football who deserve to lead the Polish national team significantly more. I worked in Polish football for ten years, so I had the opportunity to analyze, evaluate, and compare. Moreover, the football fate of our good Slavic neighbors—the Poles—is not indifferent to me. Besides the fact that I worked at “Widzew” and four other clubs in the lower leagues of Poland, I have relatives there—specifically, my aunt Marysia.
So, in my opinion, the most optimal candidate for the position of head coach of the national team could have been a well-known specialist in the country—Jerzy Engel. He once coached the Polish national team, leading them to the final stage of the World Cup, and was a sports director for many years. In Poland, Engel is as significant as Valeriy Lobanovskyi is for Ukraine. Yet Kulesza probably needs another mentor—flexible and obedient. Just such a person is Jan Urban—I am convinced of this, the expert concluded.
