Image via Mikolaj Barbanell/Shutterstock
There’s been a little bit of discussion about how Kacper Kozłowski was overlooked by Czesław Michniewicz for his final 26-man World Cup squad. It’s been well documented how Poland had a dearth of central midfield options due to injury (with Jakub Moder a huge miss) and yet the 18 year-old couldn’t force his way into the final squad. So, what’s next?
Kozłowski might’ve missed out on the World Cup, but he will be representing Poland in Michał Probierz’s U-21 side, taking part in a November training camp and friendly matches against the U-21’s of Croatia and Turkey.
It’s bitterly disappointing as a Polish football fan to see the brightest prospect not taken to his second major tournament. Kozłowski must be disappointed too, especially because he may have been able to add something off the bench that other midfielders might not, and that is where the debate on his place lies.
I referenced this in yesterday’s article, that Michniewicz spoke about taking a squad for the moment rather than one for the future. I retorted with the mention of Bartosz Kapustka, who played well at Euro 2016 as a 19 year-old and Kozłowski is probably a finer player and a year younger than Kapustka was then.
Of course, it’s important not to overstate how good Kozłowski is. Many journalists, myself included, have described him as Poland’s next big talent after Lewandowski. That can’t be an easy thing to live up to, and it’s also a little bit incongruous. Kozłowski plays a different position and left the Ekstraklasa to play at a higher level at a far younger age than Lewandowski did, so it would be wise to have a sense of perspective before declaring Kozłowski as a potential Ballon d’Or worthy player.
Personally, and not least because of the position he plays, I see Kozłowski as a player that has more in common with Piotr Zieliński than Lewandowski. Kozłowski has technical qualities almost more southern-Mediterranean in nature, rarely seen in Polish midfielders, and it’s in that regard that he has more in common with a Zieliński, a Rafał Wolski or a Kazimierz Deyna as a technically gifted playmaker in a number 10 role.
Again, perhaps this is overstating his abilities right now, but he is unarguably the Polish player with the greatest potential in this moment. He’s played well since his loan move to Vitesse too, and so for him not to be going (baring in mind he was taken to Euros last summer and played as the youngest ever in the history of the competition) does seem to be doing the future of Polish football a disservice.
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