The Polish representative changed the club and conquers the league!Season revelation."This is a team for me"

RC Lens is a revelation of this year's Ligue 1 season, and Przemysław Frankowski plays an important role in the fourth strength of the French League.The Polish representative, who came to Lens in the summer from Chicago Fire, moved into the team perfectly, scoring three goals and recording three assists in the twelve league matches in a pendulum position.In an interview with Sport.Pl Frankowski reveals what the secret of his good game and the whole team is, and also talks about the backstage of the transfer and his role in the Polish national team.

Jakub Seweryn: Kiedy kilka tygodni temu pytaliśmy o ciebie dziennikarzy piszących o Lens i wielu z nich przyznało, że gdy latem przychodziłeś do klubu, byłeś dla nich zawodnikiem zupełnie anonimowym.

Przemysław Frankowski (piłkarz RC Lens i reprezentacji Polski): Wcale im się nie dziwię, że mnie nie znali, bo liga MLS nie jest zbyt popularna we Francji.Anyway, it is similar in Poland.That is why from the beginning I had to prove that I am not from any other football world.I wanted to show as soon as possible that I didn't get to Lens by accident.I think I succeeded.

Udało, i to bardzo szybko. Nie potrzebowałeś nawet kilku tygodni na aklimatyzację. Trzy gole i trzy asysty w 12 meczach to imponujący wynik, jak na wahadłowego.

There was not even time for acclimatization, because I came to Lens a week before the start of the season.On the other hand, I am no longer a young player, and Lens is not my first foreign club, so I didn't need much time to enter the new team.The more that I came to a team well -prepared and tactically.In each match we have a plan for a specific opponent, and besides, I met very open and smiling people here.I have to admit that I am very suitable for the atmosphere - not only in the cloakroom, but in the whole club.It is not easy with the language, because I have never had contact with French, but the guys and trainers speak English, so in this respect there is no major problem.

Spodziewałeś, że to wejście do nowej ligi - ligi z najlepszej europejskiej piątki – będzie tak łatwe?

I did not expect, but I believed in myself and after the first training and the first match I told myself: "Oh, this is a team for me!".A team that plays intensively and offensive.I knew then that this was a good place for me.I also read a lot about the new club before the transfer.

There is nothing to hide, it's great.It is known that it is easier to enter the team that plays offensively and in which most players record good numbers, because it is not only about me, but also many of my friends from Lens.We play and function really well, thanks to which it looks very cool.We are all happy about it.

Frankowski even overshadowed Leo Messi."Hell's discovery.They will sing songs about him "

Oprócz świetnych liczb i kilku nominacji do jedenastki kolejki Ligue 1, masz już na koncie także „gola miesiąca" którego strzeliłeś na pięknym Stade Velodrome w Marsylii. To musiało być niezłe przeżycie, tym bardziej, że wygraliście tam 3:2.

Already before the match in Marseille, my colleagues told me that if we have a great atmosphere in Lens, then Velodrome is even better.They did not lie because the atmosphere, stadium and the whole shell in Marseille were impressive.No one had to motivate.To go out and play at this stadium was a pure pleasure, and even more to score such a goal and win the match with a strong team, which is Olympique.I must admit that it was probably the most beautiful goal in my career.The joy was huge, but the most important thing was that we were able to win there.

No dobra, ale taki strzał lewą nogą? Od tej strony ciebie nie znaliśmy.

I was never afraid to play with my left leg, although it is known that the right is the dominant.However, the left one is not only used to get on the bus.It is not that bad, so I took a risk, and it came up.

Tydzień wcześniej byłeś bohaterem innego bardzo ważnego meczu – derbów z mistrzem Francji Lille, strzelając zwycięskiego gola w samej końcówce.

I haven't played such a derby match with such a shell and atmosphere yet.Going to Lens on the first day I heard that the most important thing for them is the match against Lille.It was visible.

Czy kibice nosili cię po tym na rękach?

No, so it wasn't...But it was feeling how important I scored, especially for fans.As a team we played a really good match.We didn't lose the goal, and we scored one more, but out of offside.Later we could enjoy the fans and it was a great feeling.

"Complete player".The Polish representative has already charmed the new club

Lens przez kilka kolejek było wiceliderem Ligue 1, teraz jest na czwartym miejscu w tabeli. Czy rzeczywiście to jest zespół, który może walczyć o czołowe miejsca w lidze francuskiej?

The coach repeats to live from match to match and focus only at the next meeting.I sign it.There is nothing to think about what will happen in a month, because in this league everyone can win with everyone and only Paris Saint-Germain has a magic team with many great players who can be hard to catch up.But second place?Why not.You have to think positively and believe in your skills, and we have them.Who knows, maybe we will be the biggest surprise of this season?

Twoim trenerem w Lens jest Franck Haise – człowiek, którego w Polsce znają tylko najwięksi wielbiciele Ligue 1. Przed Lens pracował on jedynie w rezerwach i drużynach młodzieżowych. Tymczasem w Lens tuż po przejęciu drużyny awansował z nią do Ligue 1, a następnie w roli beniaminka otarł się o europejskie puchary. Teraz jesteście w ścisłej ligowej czołówce. Co możesz powiedzieć o tym trenerze?

I really don't know how it is possible that this coach has only been running a serious club in Ligue 1 for two years.This is a very good coach, behind which players stand a wall, and at the same time feel a lot of respect for him.Coach Haise is always well prepared and has an excellent training staff, thanks to which in every match we know perfectly well what to do on the pitch.Trainings in Lens are very intense, but we are able to translate this intensity to matches later.This, in turn, gives us as good results we have today.

A jako człowiek?

He is very friendly.It is known that this distance between the coach and the footballer must always be maintained, certain boundaries cannot be exceeded, but the coach talks to the older and younger players in the same way.If you have a problem if you want to ask about tactics, the door to it is always open.

Wspomniałeś o PSG. Czy ty i twoi klubowi koledzy zakreślacie sobie w kalendarzu ten dzień, gdy zmierzycie się z Messim, Neymarem i Mbappe?

I would absolutely not say that.I live from match to match.It is known that it will be a nice test, as well as matches with Marseille, Monaco, Lyon or Lille, but it's still only one match for which you need to prepare the same as for the others.There is still many important matches ahead of us, before we even face PSG, and the name of the club or names playing there do not make such an impression on me that I would wait for weeks for this meeting.

Czy po takim początku stawiasz sobie jeszcze jakieś cele indywidualne?

No, there is no point in bothering this head.The most important thing is to win.The rest goes to the background.

Frankowski impresses in France!Pierces Messi and Neymar [video]

Pół roku temu trudno było się spodziewać, że będziesz błyszczał we Francji. Gdy wówczas rozmawialiśmy, szykowałeś się do walki o play-off z Chicago Fire. Tymczasem latem gruchnęła wieść o transferze do Lens. Dla wielu była to duża niespodzianka.

The first contact with Lens was already in January.At that time, however, my agents who spoke to the club heard that Lens did not make transfers in winter, but I am an interesting footballer for them and maybe the topic will return in the summer.This is also the case and everything went very quickly.

Six days before signing the contract in France, my agent called me and said that Lens sports director would contact Chicago Fire regarding the transfer.During these few days I managed to play the match with Philadelphia Union [1: 1 after Frankowski's goal - Red.], and after the meeting I already flew to France.

He underwent medical tests, signed a contract, debuted in Ligue 1 in the match against Rennes and...I came back to Chicago!It all happened so fast that the family and most things remained there.

Ten transfer był nie tylko ogromną zmianą w twojej karierze piłkarskiej, ale też w życiu. Jak twoja rodzina na to wszystko zareagowała? Jak się czujecie w Lens?

The wife had to pack 2.5 years old in a few days.We returned with all this to Poland, where my relatives stayed for a month, while I had to go back to France, where another league match was waiting for me.However, all paper matters had to be dealt with, as well as a flat as soon as possible, because I didn't want the family to live in a hotel.

Now everything is in order.We are closer to Poland and it is not a major problem to fly home for a few days.In France, we do not live in Lens alone, only in a nice town next to which most players live, but we like the lifestyle in this place.The children are still small and do not quite understand what is happening, but the most important thing is that we are together.

The Polish representative is shocking the French.A great distinction and just after the transfer

Porozmawiajmy jeszcze o reprezentacji. Pół roku temu mówiłeś mi, że nie masz kontaktu z Paulo Sousą, ale przyznawałeś, że odnalazłbyś się na wahadle w jego systemie gry. Niedługo później otrzymałeś od Portugalczyka pierwszą szansę, którą wykorzystałeś i teraz możesz być pewny miejsca w kadrze. I znów – szybko poszło.

I've always wanted to play in the national team.When I couldn't come, playing MLS, I was very bad for it, but it didn't care about me.I am happy every time I can come to the grouping.My goal is to play in the first composition and I know that I can afford it.

Pierwsze powołanie od Paulo Sousy dostałeś na Euro 2020 i na tym turnieju byłeś pierwszym do wejścia z ławki rezerwowych. Była świetna sytuacja z Hiszpanią, także asysta ze Szwecją. Czy coś z tego turnieju jeszcze siedzi ci w głowie?

The only thing that was left in my head is a big disappointment with the final result of the team.There is nothing to analyze the rest, because a lot of time has passed since the euro.Certainly it was a lot of learning and valuable experience, but also a considerable profession that we did not win the match and did not leave the group.

U Paulo Sousy grałeś już na obu wahadłach i jako ofensywny pomocnik. W Lens jesteś głównie lewym wahadłowym, ale tez miałeś okazję grać również po drugiej stronie boiska. Czy takie rzucanie po pozycjach ci w jakiś sposób przeszkadza?

If the trainer approaches me and says "Frankie, I need you in this position", I go out onto the pitch and give me a maximum in this position where the coach exhibits me.It is known that ultimately it is the right or left pendulum, without much difference, but I am also available to the coach when he needs me in a different place.It is true that I am thrown in different positions, but it is not that I have never played on them and they are completely new to me.So I am not thrown into deep water, and regardless of where I play, I do my job.

A na której pozycji czujesz się najlepiej?

On the pendulum.In the club I play mainly on the left and I feel really good there.

W niektórych spotkaniach można było dostrzec, że Robert Lewandowski daje ci bardzo wiele uwag i wskazówek. Tak rzeczywiście jest? Jak się gra u boku jednego z najlepszych piłkarzy na świecie?

Robert as a captain often tries to support us and help us.It is pure pleasure to play with such a player - one of the best in the world - in one team.

Paulo Sousa jest dla ciebie trzecim selekcjonerem reprezentacji, u którego masz okazję występować. Jak byś go porównał z Adamem Nawałką i Jerzym Brzęczkiem?

You can see that he comes from another school.He is a Portuguese who in addition played at the highest world level.He has his own idea for our team and although of course he needs some time, you can see that from match to match it looks better and better.Paulo Sousa is very demanding, but only for the benefit of players.In autumn, we score very well, which is also very important, because it is known that the results are doing the atmosphere.I think it looks really positive.

Przed wami ostatnie mecze eliminacyjne z Andorą i Węgrami.

And we want to win both.We intend to get the full pot to be in the best situation before the play -offs.This is our goal.