WARSAW: Robert Lewandowski is relishing a "sentimental" return for Euro 2024 to Germany where he enjoyed an illustrious playing career before moving to Barcelona.
The 35-year-old Polish striker left a deep impression first at Borussia Dortmund and then at Bayern Munich, having won ten Bundesliga titles between 2010 and 2022.
Lewandowski, who also won the Champions League with Bayern in 2020, managed a whopping 312 goals in 384 Bundesliga games to become the competition's second highest scorer ever after Bayern legend Gerd Mueller.
He is also the joint record holder of seven Bundesliga top scorer awards alongside Mueller.
"For me it is already sentimental, you could say a return to the country where I spent many years, where I lived, where I also played in these stadiums," Lewandowski told Polish TV channel TVN.
He added he would be coming "with a positive attitude and with a smile on my face and also with such appreciation of where I am not just in life, also in my career".
But Poland will face a tough task in Germany after clinching a Euro spot by a hair's breadth as they edged Wales on penalties in the play-offs.
They have also faced challenges over a rapidly shifting leadership, having gone through five coaches in the last three years.
An attempt to bring in a foreign coach failed miserably as Fernando Santos, who coached Portugal to victory at Euro 2016, was fired last September after a lacklustre start to qualifying.
Michal Probierz, at the helm since then, remains optimistic for Poland's chances.
"We don't want just to go there on tour. We want to play a very good tournament, get out of the group and fight for something more," he said.
The Bialoczerwoni (White-red) have a tough Group D, playing the Netherlands on June 16, Austria on June 21 and France on June 25.
It will be Poland's fifth straight appearance at the continental tournament where they reached the quarter-finals in 2016.
Lewandowski played at the last three editions, scoring four goals in 11 games -- compared with his 82 goals in 148 international games in total, clearly the best in Poland's history.
He is hoping the upcoming Euro will be different.
"I have changed my approach to these big tournaments a bit, because I'm aware of the high expectations and that there will be pressure," said Lewandowski.
He also praised the team's "positive power".
"I can definitely say that there is an atmosphere, there is chemistry, we seem to be aware of it, what we are preparing for and what a great tournament lies ahead of us.
"I personally have this inner peace, because I can see that it works well, the training really looks nice, and the way the boys approach training, there is nothing to complain about."