On Monday afternoon, in the first team locker room at the Barcelona Sports City, the alarms rang. Among the players there was speculation about the possible substitution of Robert Lewandowski against Valencia that same night. The hard core of the template was based on two inputs. The first had to do with the coach: the Pole had not completed the duel against Real Madrid (64 minutes); the second, with the offices, since in the sports management they had already begun to talk about the high salary of the former Bayern Munich forward, close to 26 million in this campaign that would rise to 32 in the next: a slab to balance the salary mass. But for Lewandowski it seems that there is no one to move him from Barcelona. “Leaving Barça this summer is absolutely impossible for me, it is not an issue for at least two years,” he warned in an interview with Bild. Afterwards, he spoke on the field: hat-trick against Valencia.
The relationship between Xavi and Lewandowski is correct, neither too close nor too distant. Reflection, in any case, of the links that the forward historically generates in all the teams he has played for. Xavi highlights the Pole’s competitive attitude, at the same time that he understands that his football, at 35 years old (he will turn 36 in August), is in decline. Lewandowski values the closeness of the Catalan coach, although privately he has complained about the lack of intensity in training and in public about the lack of supply he receives on the field. “Sometimes I don’t have support,” Lewandowski commented. “Lewandowski accuses the lack of positional play,” Xavi counterattacked. The relationship seemed doomed to failure until the coach announced his goodbye, today converted into a I better stay. “We try to demand from them (the players). It is the history of this club. My decision to announce goodbye was that way. Maybe they could give more. And that’s how it was,” reflected the Barça coach.
After Xavi announced that he would leave Barça at the end of the season, Lewandowski gathered the entire squad at his house. The idea, strengthen the group to change the dynamic. Since then, the forward has scored eight goals in 11 games (0.72). Before, he had also scored eight goals, but had needed 19 duels (0.42). According to Lewandowski, his poor performance was a consequence of an injury. “I had physical problems in the first half of the season. Things improved in 2024. I played good games, sometimes in a different role, as a false nine: I was able to provide assists and help shape the game,” the Pole justified.
With or without physical problems, Lewandowski’s best performance was a relief for the Barça group. And not only because of his goals on the field. The Pole’s behavior in the locker room can become harmful when he walks around with his sights out of focus. “We already know what he is like. We have a united group. No problem,” justifies one of the group’s heavyweights.
The unknown about Lewandowski’s future, in any case, is not in the locker room. Not in the field either. Yes, however, in the offices. While Barcelona works to close the new agreement with Nike and looks for a way to find a financial substitute for Libero (the German company did not pay a balance of 40 million) to sell Barça Vision, the sports management plans for next season. Joan Laporta’s intention is to close the balance in a positive way to simplify the task of the sports director, Deco. This means that the leader of the football area will be able to allocate one euro of salary for each one who leaves.
That’s when Lewandowski’s name is put on the window. And while Arab football rubs its hands, the Pole wants nothing to do with leaving Barcelona. “They have no one to replace him with,” they emphasize from the close circle of 9. Xavi, on the other hand, leaves the door ajar. “I don’t want to talk about future issues, because it doesn’t add up to us. Lewandowski is an example, the way he works is spectacular and I am very happy for him, he scores goals because he is all grit, work and courage,” concluded the Barça coach. Lewandowski silences the possible crisis with goals. For now.
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