Who is this Robert Lewandowski (33) really? It’s not just Bayern fans who have been asking this question for weeks…
There are no two opinions about the sporting qualities of the Polish forward. But the model professional suddenly turned into a problem. Lewandowski wants to get away from Munich – and with methods that hardly anyone would have believed him capable of.
Driven on by his advisor Pini Zahavi (78), he announced after the last match day that Bayern were “history” for him. The Munich bosses reacted with Oliver Kahn’s Basta power word. “I’m looking forward to his first training session with Bayern in July,” said Uli Hoeneß (70) with conviction.
But is Lewandowski really on the pitch when training starts on July 8th?
Not only as a footballer, but also as a person, Lewandowski has undergone enormous development in recent years. In the summer of 2010 he was a shy, slender boy. Today he smiles at fans around the world from big billboards.
After moving from Lech Posen to Dortmund for 4.5 million euros, Lewandowski initially lived in a hotel across from the BVB office. He welcomed guests together with his advisor at the time, Maik Barthel. Lewandowski was courteous and reserved, Barthel steered the fortunes and later arranged the move to Bayern Munich.
In the meantime, the relationship between the two has cooled. Lewandowski has been managed by star consultant Zahavi, whom Hoeneß likes to call “greedy piranha”, since 2018.
In Dortmund, Lewandowski was initially only number two behind established attacker Lucas Barrios. That’s why his sponsor Jürgen Klopp often didn’t set him up as a classic center forward, but as a ten behind. Lewandowski still benefits from this experience today: He improved his technique and understanding of the game, becoming a full-fledged striker.
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FC Bayern felt that in the 2012 cup final: It was the final application game for Lewandowski in Munich. He scored three times in BVB’s 5-2 win and dismantled Bayern. He then quickly agreed a move with Bayern Munich, but Dortmund insisted that he fulfill his contract until 2013.
That caused discussions, but Lewandowski delivered: not only did he score reliably in the league, he also dismantled his dream club Real Madrid with four goals in the Champions League semifinals.
His future had long since been settled: Lewandowski had signed his contract on Säbener Straße in early January, Bayern boss Karl-Heinz Rummenigge served champagne.
Lewandowski always had the closest relationship with Rummenigge at Bayern. The striker whispered in the ear of the then CEO at the Champions League victory in 2020: “Now we have to shape an era!”
But the love between him and FC Bayern died out, and Lewandowski gradually moved head and heart away from the club that made him a mega-star and two-time world footballer.
Even Rummenigge was wrong in his assessment in May 2022 that Lewandowski was “not a diva who provokes noise”. On the contrary: It’s been crashing tremendously since the end of the season. The debates have reached a level of escalation that FC Bayern has never seen before.
However, Lewandowski has been dreaming of moving to Spain for a long time. That’s why he got Zahavi as an advisor in the summer. In the run-up to the 2018 World Cup, he tried to get his client out of the Bayern contract. “Robert feels that he needs a change and a new challenge in his career,” Zahavi explained at the time: “The people in charge at FC Bayern know about it.”
A change did not come about, even then the Munich team remained tough.
Zahavi and Hoeneß have been enemies ever since. It was therefore becoming more difficult for Lewandowski to find access to the club: Rummenigge and coach Hansi Flick, his two closest contacts, left the club. He never found a real connection to sports director Hasan Salihamidzic. Lewandowski was angry that the new CEO Oliver Kahn did not discuss his future at a meeting in early April and instead chatted about general topics.
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In addition, he was bothered by the flirt of the management with BVB shooting star Erling Haaland: Yes, Haaland has qualities, Lewandowski emphasized in discussions, but why is the Bayern management trying so hard for the Norwegian when he has an even better attacker under contract ?
He himself repeatedly called for top players and reinforcements internally in order to be able to achieve the highest goals. But please not in his position!
Lewandowski didn’t feel comfortable with Julian Nagelsmann’s system either: he lacked the passes and crosses, the game wasn’t completely tailored to him like before, he complained internally that he didn’t get enough deals. Nagelsmann wanted to use statistics to prove the opposite . At some point, communication between the two became increasingly difficult.
Nagelsmann noticed: The dissatisfaction with his top striker is growing. There was always friction in training with Joshua Kimmich and Leroy Sané. Towards the end of the season, Lewandowski seemed frustrated and often waved his hand on the field in annoyance.
After the last Bundesliga game in Wolfsburg, he emphasized: “It’s quite possible that it was my last game for Bayern.”
In 375 games for FC Bayern, Robert Lewandowski has scored 344 goals. He broke records, he equaled Gerd Müller’s fabulous mark of 40 goals this season in 2020/21, scoring 41 times. He scored five goals in nine minutes against Wolfsburg in 2015 and entered the Guinness Book of Records. But his name seldom resounded in chants through the Allianz Arena.
Many fans resent the summer theater. If those responsible in Munich stay really tough, a lot of diplomatic skill will be required so that Lewandowski is not booed in his own stadium.
Most recently, in the BILD interview, he tried to calm things down a bit. He wanted “no escalation,” emphasized Lewandowski. But the transfer summer is still long – and the outcome of the Lewandowski Theater is completely open.
