Hajto singles out Zieliński in Poland duty debate

Tomasz Hajto has offered a pointed assessment of Poland’s national team, saying Piotr Zieliński is one of the few players he believes would remain fully committed even if representing the country came without financial reward.

Hajto’s strong message after Sweden defeat

The former Poland international made the remarks during an appearance on Roman Kołtoń’s program Prawda Futbolu, as discussion around the state of the national side continues after the 2:3 defeat to Sweden in the play-off final. That result meant Poland missed out on the most recent World Cup finals, their first absence from a major tournament since 2014.

Hajto framed his argument around commitment and motivation. Referring to the squad from the Sweden match, he said that if players were told they would have to represent Poland for free over the next three years, only a small number would remain. In his view, Zieliński would be among them without hesitation.

He said he has enormous respect for the midfielder because, in his opinion, Zieliński does not play for the national team for money. Hajto added that perhaps a handful of younger players still establishing themselves would also accept such terms.

Zieliński held up as an example

At the heart of Hajto’s comments was a broader criticism of the culture around the team. He argued that too much is said publicly by players when comparisons are made with previous generations, and suggested a different model in which bonuses would come only after qualification is achieved.

His idea was deliberately provocative: no earnings from advertising activity and no immediate financial rewards, with payment linked to success on the pitch. In that scenario, Hajto again said he would expect Zieliński and younger players to stay on board.

The remarks came during a wider conversation that also touched on Jürgen Klopp’s appointment with Germany. Hajto referred to Klopp’s view that national-team selection should be based not only on quality, but also on a strong desire to play.

Fresh uncertainty around Poland

The debate lands at a difficult moment for the national team. Poland have endured a disappointing run of months, and there is also uncertainty around the position of head coach Jan Urban. According to comments made by Piotr Wołosik on the Ofensywni podcast, a poor start in the Nations League could lead to a change before the new year.

There is also no clarity yet over whether Robert Lewandowski will continue his international career, adding another layer of doubt around the team’s immediate future.

Szczęsny comments add context

Hajto’s argument also connected with recent comments from Wojciech Szczęsny, who spoke about the commercial side of international football in an interview for Kanał Zero. The Barcelona goalkeeper said players can lose out financially when sponsors use their image through national-team agreements, even when those players might otherwise have separate commercial arrangements.

Szczęsny used Lewandowski as an example, arguing that the striker may have sacrificed more financially through playing for Poland than he gained. He also described seeing his own image used in Poland kit on promotional material even after he was no longer part of the national team setup.

Taken together, the comments from Hajto and Szczęsny have reopened a familiar question in Polish football: what should representing the national team mean, and how should commitment be measured when results and confidence are both under pressure?