Lewandowski played football for Znicz Pruszków at the time and was on the scouting lists of other – larger – Polish clubs. One of them was Legia Warsaw, but Urban decided not to choose the current FC Barcelona striker.
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“I do remember the situation, yes,” Urban said at a press conference in the run-up to the World Cup qualifiers with, among others, the Dutch national team. “I came to watch once, I have no idea which match. It was pouring rain. I think he even scored from a meter away.” Lewandowski sat next to him as captain and responded wittily. “A goal is a goal, coach.”
The present is more important
But Lewandowski is certainly not resentful of that choice 17 years ago. “I think it is more important that the coach now wants me to join the national team. Perhaps there were a reason for those difficult moments, I never blamed anyone for it. On the contrary, perhaps I should be grateful to him. I have now ended up where I wanted to be.”
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Lewandowski eventually went to Lech Poznan that summer and subsequently played for Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich and therefore Barcelona. He has also played 161 international matches so far, scoring 87 times. There could have been more if he had not become involved in a conflict with Michal Probierz this summer. Despite that choice, the 37-year-old Lewandowski seems to get along a lot better with his successor.
| Position | Team | P | GS | W | V | G | DS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | +19 | |
| 2 | 13 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | +6 | |
| 3 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | -5 | |
| 4 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 3 | -5 | |
| 5 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | -15 |