Piotr Zielinski has hit back after being told he “had no honour” for getting a photograph with Cristiano Ronaldo after Poland were thrashed by Portugal.
Ronaldo scored twice as Portugal hammered Poland 5-1 in the Nations League on Friday night in Porto. It took until the 59th minute for the first goal to arrive from Rafael Leao, but Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes and Pedro Neto ensured a comfortable home win, despite Dominik Marczuk’s consolation goal.
The result leaves Poland under pressure going into their final Nations League game against Scotland on Monday night following five defeats in eight games. Media scrutiny was heightened by events after the match, with Inter Milan’s Zielinski and Roma’s Nicola Zalewski caught on camera getting photographs taken with Ronaldo.
Former Poland international Jacek Bak led the outrage. “It’s not my thing. Times used to be different,” he said. “We get 5-1 [defeat] and I have to ask Ronaldo for a picture? The guy who f***ed us a moment earlier? Do we really have no honour in us? Today, social media is the most important thing and the first one to post a picture with Ronaldo is better? That’s not the way to go.
“Let’s say it strongly: coach [Michal] Probierz should react. All that was missing was for him to take a picture with Ronaldo, or maybe swap jackets with Roberto Martinez. I guess I’m not cut out for these times. It’s sad. I guess I’m cut from a different cloth. Today’s world is unfortunately like that.”
But Zielinski, who is standing in for the injured Robert Lewandowski as captain, has defended his actions. “Nicola and I approached him, asked for a photo and took it. Neither Cristiano nor we had a problem with it, that’s all,” he explained.
“I am not interested in what’s going on in social media. For me, Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the top players in the history of football. I felt like taking a picture and I did. That’s it. Why is it unbecoming?
“We lost the match but what should I do? Hide in a corner? I went up to him and asked him for a picture and that’s it. That’s what I felt like doing. He (Bak) has the right to have his own opinion. But I don’t think there was anything wrong with it.”
Poland manager Probierz took the side of his players. “I always tell the players, if you have a problem, if you feel like doing something before the match, take a picture before the match,” he said.
“The 90 minutes are of key importance. This time we failed, but we know what to do, how to play, how to work. Every player is a human being. We sometimes forget about that. These are people living their lives and they are young people.”
