Warsaw, Dec 27 (IANS): The Polish Football Association (PZPN) has revealed that it had refused national team coach Paulo Sousa's request to terminate his contract.

The Portuguese took over the Poland job in January 2021. On March 24, Poland will face Russia in Moscow in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying play-offs.

On Sunday the chairman of PZPN Cezary Kulesza confirmed that Sousa had requested that his contract be terminated, and openly criticized the Portuguese in interviews with local media, reports Xinhua.

"I must honestly say that I didn't expect such a surprise for Christmas from the coach," Kulesza said on Sunday.

"Paulo Sousa tried to justify his request to terminate the contract by mutual agreement, but his words didn't convince me at all. He even stated that it was a good time to terminate the contract from the perspective of both parties. From our perspective, this is an absolutely fatal moment. We will soon play our most important matches for years."

According to Brazilian media, Sousa has had advanced talks with Rio de Janeiro-based club Flamengo.

"The coach said he wanted to leave because he got an offer from one of the best clubs in the world. Such a request is a sign of disrespect towards all of us, fans, players, and employees of the association," Kulesza added.