Warsaw, Jan 22 (IANS): Portuguese Paulo Sousa is the new coach of the Poland national team, the Polish Football Association (PZPN) has announced.

"I analysed a lot of names and finally decided on Paulo Sousa. I was surprised by his knowledge of Polish footballers. He was a fantastic player and as a coach, he quickly rose up. I believe that he is a coach who can help the team. I'm convinced that the players will benefit from this change", the PZPN's president Zbigniew Boniek said during Thursday's press conference, reports Xinhua news agency.

Sousa has managed several clubs such as Basel of Switzerland, Fiorentina of Italy, and Tianjin Quanjian of China. In August 2020, he left French side Bordeaux.

"I'm very honoured and proud to be the new manager of the Polish national football team. For me it's a great opportunity. Poland is a country of football. I'm sure that with enthusiasm we will fight for success at the European championship. The team has great potential and high-class players with a good mentality, discipline, and the right attitude. We will be strong. Poland will be proud of the national team", Sousa concluded.

On Monday, PZPN had announced that coach Jerzy Brzeczek has been sacked. It was a surprising decision as the 49-year-old led Poland to qualification for the UEFA European Championships.

"I respect Jerzy Brzeczek and I am generally satisfied with his work. I believe that he will return to work quickly because he has the quality," the former Juventus player said.

At the rescheduled Euro 2021, Poland will play against Spain, Sweden, and Slovakia in the group stage.