Called up by Poland, Pietuszewski says FC Porto was ‘best move’ | OneFootball

Recently called up to the main Polish national team, Oskar Pietuszewski sees this call-up as the realization of a "childhood dream." Born in 2008, the player admits that a few years ago, he could hardly imagine that his debut for the national team was so close, but now that "it's becoming a reality," he hopes it will happen soon, he said in an interview with the program Foot Truck.

At just 17 years old, his first major memory of the Polish national team dates back to Euro 2016, a tournament he remembers "with more awareness and emotion." In that team, besides the "obvious choice" of Robert Lewandowski, Pietuszewski says he also admired Michal Pazdan, describing him as "a great figure in the team at the time, an incredible personality."

The move to FC Porto was, as he explains, a carefully thought-out decision and not an impulsive gesture. The player mentions that the choice did not come immediately but was the result of a process of elimination among several options presented by his agent. "We had a list of options [...] and we went through a process of elimination to see where we wanted to focus. It had to be the best decision for my development and a place where I felt safe. FC Porto met those requirements," he stated, pleased that it was not a "hasty decision."

Always connected to the attack, with the ability to play in the center, on the wing, or as a striker, the Pole highlights courage in dribbling as one of his main weapons, something he attributes to the coaches who accompanied him. "I've always been someone who wasn't afraid to dribble, and it was crucial that the coaches didn't block that in me. They didn't kill my creativity and game fantasy," he explained, adding that although dribbling isn't always the solution, he was never discouraged from taking risks.

Asked about how he deals with stress in high-stakes games, such as his debut for Jagiellonia against Ajax or the classic against Benfica at Estádio da Luz, the forward admits to feeling nervous at the start. He recounts that during the match with Ajax, the equipment manager, Victor, told him he was "pale." "I was in shock; it seemed like a fairy tale to be there running alongside Jordan Henderson," he confessed. Still, he assures that after the initial whistle, he can fully concentrate on the game.

The Dribble That Left Otamendi on the Ground

Regarding the goal scored against Benfica, after leaving Otamendi behind, Pietuszewski remains grounded. "It's remarkable to score in a stadium like that against such a strong opponent. But at the same time, I try to keep my feet on the ground. It's just another goal, a very cool moment, but [...] I just want to keep working to have more numbers and continue to evolve."

Finally, the player gave high praise to his coach, Francesco Farioli, who has been with him since his time playing in Poland. "Despite being very young for a coach, he has an enormous amount of experience. He is not only an excellent coach but also an excellent person," he assured, also speaking about his compatriot Bednarek.

According to the winger, Bednarek integrated very quickly into the group and with the staff, assuming a positive leadership role early on. "He's huge. Jan arrived and integrated very quickly into the group and with the staff. He immediately became a leader, but a positive leader," he stated, adding that the Polish defender "supports everyone when things go wrong and says what needs to be said when a wake-up call is needed."

Oskar Pietuszewski also recalled a significant episode on the field when he took a hard hit to the ribs against the post, a moment that left Poland curious about Bednarek's words. The defender immediately reassured him. "He was trying to calm me down. I was in shock because the hit was very strong," he explained. Bednarek's words were purely encouraging: "He said, 'Calm down, come on, nothing's broken. You're able to walk, so nothing's broken.' He gave me that support to pull myself together and get back to the game as quickly as possible."

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.