Poland's Piszczek good for Real, manager says

15 May 2012 18:47

Poland international Lukasz Piszczek would be an ideal option for Real Madrid, his country's manager Franciszek Smuda says, though the defender's club Borussia Dortmund insists he is not for sale.

After days of speculation about the newly-crowned Spanish champions' interest in signing the 26-year-old, Smuda said Piszczek has what it takes.

"He'd definitely make the first team," Smuda told the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita, lauding his defensive skills.

"He chews up his opponents and spits them out.

"I know that for every player, Real Madrid is like a fairy tale, but Piszczek really would fit. He has no reason to have any hangups," he added.

Along with Poland and Dortmund team-mates midfielder Kuba Blaszczykowski and striker Robert Lewandowski, Piszczek was recently named in the season's Bundesliga 11 by German magazine Kicker.

The trio played a crucial role in Dortmund's historic league and cup double this season.

As Poland prepare for Euro 2012 on home soil, transfer talk is also whirling around Lewandowski, but Dortmund insist neither player is on the market.

Piszczek joined Germany's Hertha Berlin in 2004 from Polish youth team Gwarek Zabrze, after a solid performance for Poland's under-19s in that year's European championship.

But he was immediately sent on loan to Polish top-flight club Zaglebie Lubin, and was only recalled to Hertha in 2007, the year he earned his first senior cap for Poland.

Hertha sold him to Dortmund in 2010, and he has proven his worth both in defence and attack, racking up four goals and eight assists in 32 matches this season.

Source: AFP