MARSEILLE, France -- Poland striker and captain Robert Lewandowski should get far more protection from referees at Euro 2016, national team coach Adam Nawalka told a news conference on Wednesday.
Lewandowski has been fouled 16 times at Euro 2016, the most of any player at the tournament.
"For me he's the best No. 9 in the world," said Nawalka, speaking in Marseille ahead of Poland's Thursday night quarterfinal with Portugal. "And he's marked very tightly in this tournament, with double, even triple marking. Opponents attack him on the limit every time."
Nawalka went on to make a further complaint about refereeing. Midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak is the third-most fouled player in France on 14.
"When an opponent is trying to eliminate at any cost a particular player from the game, referees need to pay more attention to make sure those fouls are picked up very quickly," said Nawalka. "They need to react quickly with yellow and red cards and stamp out those fouls from the game.
"I think refs should be paying particular attention to some brutal fouls," he added.
Lewandowski is yet to score in four matches for Poland though his team has travelled further in the Euros than previously in the country's history.
Nawalka said: "Robert, and I repeat it all the time, is a very important player for our team. I'm very happy with his performance so far. He's playing for the team and he is fulfilling a very important role as a captain -- motivating his teammates -- and as a player, fulfilling aspects of his role. He is in very good physical form, mental form, doing a great job and let's keep it that way."
Fellow striker Arkadiusz Milik has also struggled in front of goal after scoring Poland's winner in their 1-0 opening defeat of Northern Ireland.
Against Switzerland, despite scoring a penalty in the shootout, he was again off-target, and has been the subject of heavy criticism back home in Poland.
"I am calm," said Milik. "There have been some chances and maybe I did not have the cold blood in front of the goal. I am sure I have the skills to finish it off. It is behind me. I do not care about what is on the internet I just try to do my best, do my job and fulfil the mission the coach gives me. Tomorrow is a new chapter, a new match. Let's focus on that."