Łukasz Poręba named in Jan Urban's squad, Elversberg midfielder called up for Nations League

Łukasz Poręba, a 26-year-old defensive midfielder for SV 07 Elversberg, has been called up to the senior Poland squad for the first time. Head coach Jan Urban has invited him to the training camp ahead of the Nations League matches. Poland play Romania on 14 November, and three days later they host Sweden in Wrocław.

In an interview with WP SportoweFakty, the player described his strengths as calmness, good positioning, reading the game and defensive duties. Jarosław Koliński, the author of the piece, believes Poręba has the potential, in theory, to replace Grzegorz Krychowiak in the defensive midfield role. This is the journalist's opinion, not a decision by the coach.

From Lens to Hamburg

Poręba played for Zagłębie Lubin in Poland. Four years ago he moved to Lens in France, but in a side that finished runners-up in Ligue 1, he had no realistic chance of regular game time. He then spent two seasons at Hamburg, where, by his own account, he did not play as much as he wanted.

The turning point came in the summer of 2025, when he joined Elversberg. He says he chose the club because regular football mattered most to him, and the club's sporting director set out a clear plan.

A small town with a big rise

Elversberg has a population of around 13,000 and no railway station or traditional town hall. The club, with Poręba in the side, won promotion to the Bundesliga last season, becoming the smallest town ever to host a team in the top flight. The stadium holds 9,300 spectators and is due to be expanded to 15,000 next year. According to the interview, the team currently sits seventh in the Bundesliga table.

Poręba lives with his wife in Saarbrücken, about a 15-minute drive from the club. Poland is a long way away: he says the drive from Saarbrücken to Lubin takes eight to ten hours.

What next

The player says he is arriving at the squad not as a young talent but as a formed professional. He says he hopes to make a good impression on the coach and feels ready for the challenge. The interview does not say whether he will play in the November matches.