Tomaszewski takes Wenger to task on Szczesny injury

Former Poland goalkeeper Jan Tomaszewski has launched a furious attack against Arsene Wenger and accused the Arsenal coach of putting goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny’s career at risk.

Szczesny is set to start for Euro 2012 hosts Poland in tonight’s Group A opening match but he ended the season with a shoulder injury and had played through the pain for the last three matches of the campaign.

“I can’t believe that Szczesny played for the last few weeks of the season on pain-killers, having injections at Arsenal,” said Tomaszewski. “He is one of our hopes for the Euro 2012, a leader of our team, a world-class player and someone with character, finally! He’s a true number one though playing on injections with injury is a career-risking decision.

“If that was the one made by Arsene Wenger, I’m very angry. He should know better that you simply cannot do that kind of thing with a young and talented guy like Wojciech! If I could say one thing to the Polish goalkeeper, I’d tell him to be brave and hold his ground, not to agree with everything that his manager is demanding from him.”

Tomaszewski made 63 appearances in goal for Poland and was voted Best Goalkeeper at the 1974 World Cup, where he saved two penalties in two different games as Poland finished third. He is now a pundit and an outspoken critic of Poland coach Franciszek Smuda, whose policy of picking naturalised players like Damien Perquis and Ludovic Obraniak has upset him. “I’m devastated and angry that players of other nationalities will grace the Euros under the Polish flag.”

For Szczesny, though, tonight’s match represents a high-point in his career and the first time the 22-year-old will play in a competitive match for his country.

“I don’t want to be the hero of a Polish defeat, that we have a great goalie but zero results, like Artur Boruc at Euro 2008,” he said. “Artur played like Superman and what happened? Nothing. If we get out of the group, I am happy.

Szczesny also rejected Tomaszewski’s criticism of Smuda and claimed that the coach was the right man to lead the team in this tournament.

“For me, Smuda is the good guy,” he said. “I will always respect him because as the national team’s coach he called me up. He gave me my debut, he gave me my chance, never said a word that I’m young, or that he needs a more experienced goalkeeper for the most important tournament in Poland’s history.”