Robert Lewandowski is the new face of FC Barcelona. Before that, the Polish international played for Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga for twelve years. According to his own statement, the world footballer chose to leave Munich primarily to take on a new challenge.
“I knew my career at Bayern was ongoing. I started to miss challenges,” said Lewandowski in an interview with “meczyki.pl“. The “next goals and trophies in Germany” were “of course important”, but not so “enriching”.
“I admit that I started to have a problem with that. I needed a strong impetus and it could only be a transfer. A complete change of environment and to face new challenges. Today I feel like a child who walks into a shop full of new toys”, the 33-year-old described his personal situation.
Lewandowski explained that he “always” wanted to play in the Primera División. “Twelve years in Germany is a long time. I achieved everything in the Bundesliga. I didn’t want to stand in front of the mirror in a few years and ask myself: ‘Why didn’t you try it?’.”
His decision to change from FC Bayern to Barca was made around the last home game of the previous season.
“I may have made my decision a few days earlier. I informed Bayern officials that I will definitely not be renewing my contract and that I would like to move in the summer. We know the rest,” revealed the attacker.
Lewandowski: time at Bayern “a big part of my life”
Lewandowski alluded to the month-long transfer theater with sometimes violent words. “I knew what had to happen for the transfer to happen. I knew what I was saying,” said the goalscorer. This was a “painful moment” for Bayern fans. “I apologize to you for that,” Lewandowski said.
Still, Lewandowski didn’t feel like he had any other options. “I knew it was the only way to make my dreams come true. I heard some harsh words myself, some nasty things happened at the end, but I’ll leave it at that today. I’ll never say a bad word about FC Losing Bayern. We wrote a beautiful story together and it will always be a big part of my life,” said Lewandowski in a forgiving manner.
Lewandowski without a conversation with Guardiola
At FC Barcelona, the center forward has to internalize a new game philosophy. However, he has not yet spoken to ex-coach Pep Guardiola about the transfer.
But: “Being coached by Guardiola at Bayern prepared me for this transfer in that way. Pep had his Spanish team. At that time I played with eight Spaniards. I still have a great relationship with Javi Martínez and Thiago, who congratulated me on the transfer,” said Lewandowski.
The world footballer worked with Guardiola at Bayern Munich between 2013 and 2016.