Szczesny criticises Poland sponsor over image rights

Former Poland goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has publicly criticised one of the national team’s sponsors, arguing that the use of players’ image rights has gone too far.

Szczesny’s strong view on sponsor conduct

Speaking on Krzysztof Stanowski’s program Ognisko u Stana, Szczesny used unusually blunt language when discussing the issue. He said he viewed the situation as deeply unfair, directing his frustration at one of the sponsors connected to the Poland national team.

The former international made clear that, in his view, the commercial use of footballers’ likenesses is being overused. His comments suggest a wider concern about how players are represented and monetised in sponsorship activity around the national side.

Image rights at the centre of the dispute

At the heart of Szczesny’s criticism is the question of image rights. He indicated that sponsors have benefited from using players’ profiles in ways that, from his perspective, cross an acceptable line.

According to Szczesny, the issue is not limited to one individual. He said Robert Lewandowski is among the players to have lost substantial sums of money as a result, while also stressing that the problem extends beyond Poland’s captain alone.

A broader debate around commercial boundaries

Szczesny’s remarks tap into a familiar tension in modern football: the balance between commercial partnerships and the rights of players whose public image helps drive those deals. National teams rely heavily on sponsorship, but his comments underline the sensitivity around how far those agreements should reach.

While Szczesny did not hide his anger, his intervention also raises a broader question for the Poland setup and its commercial partners. When current and former internationals feel their image is being used excessively, it inevitably puts fresh scrutiny on the relationship between players and sponsors.

Focus turns to the Poland national team’s commercial model

The comments are notable not only because of Szczesny’s standing as a former Poland goalkeeper, but also because they touch on one of the most powerful figures in Polish football, Lewandowski. Any suggestion that leading players have suffered financially is likely to intensify discussion around how sponsorship arrangements are structured.

For now, Szczesny has put the issue firmly into the public domain. His message was clear: in his view, the commercial use of Poland players’ image rights has been taken too far, and the consequences have been costly for some of the national team’s biggest names.