“Every little thing Robert received at Bayern Munich, the targets he scored, it was all with the goal of ending up the place he’s now: enjoying for Barcelona.”
Robert Lewandowski’s profession has been stuffed with targets, however two summers in the past he fulfilled what’s honest to explain as his final ambition. The quote above comes from a supply very near the 35-year-old striker — who, like all these cited on this article, most well-liked to talk anonymously to guard relationships.
Signing for Barca was a longstanding goal of Lewandowski’s. However since becoming a member of for €45million (£38.5m; $48.7m at present charges) in July 2022, not all the pieces has turned as rosily as he might need anticipated. This season has not been his biggest, and uncertainty has developed round his place on the membership — despite the fact that this week’s Champions League round-of-16 first leg at Napoli comes as he has begun to point out higher type in entrance of aim.
Lewandowski was the star of the present in Barcelona’s La Liga victory at Celta Vigo on Saturday, scoring a brace that included a 97th-minute winner from the penalty spot, and he now has 4 targets from Barca’s previous three matches.
This latest momentum, nonetheless, exhibits up as a uncommon vibrant spot when trying again throughout what has to date been a really disappointing marketing campaign at Barcelona. Lewandowski has not been the one participant underperforming, however his standing as a marquee signing opens him as much as further scrutiny, and wider issues over his suitability have been rising for a while.
Lewandowski’s arrival at Barca was meant to sign the true start line of a brand new undertaking underneath Xavi. One in every of Europe’s most prolific goalscorers was to behave as a task mannequin for a brand new technology and assist the membership overlook Lionel Messi’s traumatic departure.
Now, that ‘undertaking’ has primarily already folded, with Xavi to step down on the finish of the season. And Lewandowski appears set for a tense switch window in the summertime, with some on the membership already resolved to searching for a sale — until he can show the doubters unsuitable.
“Lots of people consider Barcelona have to have a franchise participant. A go-to man who sells shirts, represents the general public picture of the group and turns into a purpose to draw followers to the stadium. Deep down, that was the reasoning behind Lewandowski’s signing in 2022.”
That is how a senior membership supply describes the gamble Barcelona took two summers in the past with Lewandowski’s signing from Bayern. The earlier summer time had seen the membership’s greatest legend, Messi, leaving in tears, whereas different key figures reminiscent of Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba gave the impression to be reaching the ultimate levels of their careers in Catalonia. It was determined the Camp Nou wanted a brand new idol, and president Joan Laporta regarded to Lewandowski.
The deal to carry him didn’t wholly escape criticism on the time. In the summertime of 2021, Barcelona determined to not prolong Messi’s contract, with phrases already agreed, to be able to assist clear up the membership’s monetary issues. One 12 months later, they spent €45million on a 33-year-old Lewandowski, signing him to a three-year take care of an choice for a fourth. This August, he’ll flip 36.
If the Messi deal had been accomplished, the Argentinian would have earned €20million within the first 12 months of his new contract, earlier than then seeing his wage improve considerably. Lewandowski’s annual wage, as a median over 4 years, is reportedly set at €26m.
However Lewandowski hit the bottom working. Over 2022-23, he scored 33 targets and supplied eight assists in all competitions. He was La Liga’s high scorer with 23 as Barca received their first league title in 4 years. Regardless of as soon as once more struggling Champions League failure (they had been eradicated on the group stage) Barca followers had some purpose to hope they had been seeing the beginning of one thing larger.
But, you might additionally see the early indicators of issues starting to construct to the place they’re now.
The 2022 World Cup was clearly the turning level in Lewandowski’s debut season. Earlier than its begin, he scored 13 targets within the first 15 La Liga matches of the season, additionally grabbing 5 Champions League targets.
After getting back from a disappointing show with Poland (he scored two targets they usually had been knocked out within the last-16 by France), nothing was fairly the identical. Lewandowski misplaced a little bit of his spark, which may be regular in a season, however because it turned out, it by no means actually got here again.
Lewandowski performed 19 extra video games in La Liga after Qatar 2022, scoring 10 targets, of which 4 got here with the title already secured. Tensions within the dressing room began to look, in addition to frustration with himself. However most vital of all, it additionally grew to become clear that the perfect model of Xavi’s Barcelona was not absolutely suitable along with his most well-liked fashion of play.
Barca’s Supercopa de Espana victory over Actual Madrid in January 2023 continues to be arguably essentially the most convincing show underneath Xavi’s tenure. They outclassed their Clasico rivals in a 3-1 win ignited by a tactical tweak: sacrificing one winger for one more physique in a four-strong midfield.
Xavi was satisfied it supplied the trail to observe, regardless of the impact it had on Lewandowski.
“I understood this group wanted extra management and fewer transitions and that’s why we modified our strategy a bit,” he stated on the day Barca had been topped league champions following victory over metropolis rivals Espanyol, in Might final 12 months.
“We felt higher controlling the ball and I prioritised the gamers that didn’t lose possession. That’s how I perceive soccer, it belongs to that type of gamers: the midfielders who’re at all times capable of hold the ball.“
Lewandowski didn’t see issues fairly so positively. In an unique interview with The Athletic throughout Barca’s pre-season tour final summer time, he described how he had been left annoyed by the change. He knew dropping a winger meant fewer probabilities to obtain balls and crosses into the field, the strongest space of his recreation.
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There was a state of affairs to resolve right here. From the group’s tactical perspective, they needed to discover a higher match for his or her star striker. From the participant’s facet, he wanted to get well the shape he showcased in 2022.
As an alternative of an answer being discovered, issues solely acquired worse.
Lewandowski’s 4 targets in three matches adopted a six-match dry spell (DAX Photographs/NurPhoto through Getty Photographs)
“We don’t possess the standard of 2010 Barcelona, we simply don’t. We have to run our socks off. If we don’t run like animals, we received’t win video games. If we are able to’t be scientific, we have to have soul as a group. That is Barcelona, issues want to alter.”
After his facet’s ultimate league match of 2023, Xavi directed his most important phrases as Barca supervisor. That they had simply managed to get away with a scrappy 3-2 win towards La Liga’s backside facet Almeria, in a recreation they had been drawing 1-1 on the break.
A couple of days later, it emerged that Lewandowski had are available in for sturdy criticism from Xavi in a half-time dressing-room handle that railed towards a scarcity of depth and aggression amongst his gamers.
By that time, teaching employees sources had already began to explain Lewandowski’s goalscoring effectiveness as beneath what was anticipated. Additionally they thought he had misplaced a few of his power in particular person duels, and had been involved by his worsening link-up play.
Evaluating his La Liga stats for this season and final (in line with Fbref.com), Lewandowski has an identical price of balls miscontrolled per recreation (round 2.7) and aerial duels received (53.6 per cent final season; 52.8 per cent this season). However his passing success price has decreased considerably.
For brief passes, there’s a drop from 83.9 per cent final season to 77. 7 per cent this season, whereas medium-range passes fall from 77.1 per cent to 71.4 per cent, and long-range passes from 65.2 per cent to 55.6 per cent.
His anticipated targets (xG) knowledge doesn’t look too dangerous at this level. Over 2022-23, he scored 23 targets from 24.3 xG in La Liga, whereas this season he’s on 12 targets from 14.6 xG.
Nonetheless, it’s value declaring that, earlier than his 4 targets from Barca’s final three league video games, he was on eight targets from 12.1xG and had solely scored 3 times within the competitors since September (with two matches out injured).
Lewandowski has to date scored 17 occasions and supplied six assists throughout 33 video games in all competitions this season. His match-winning strike towards Celta on Saturday was his fiftieth for Barca.
And but this time period Xavi has subbed him off 4 occasions with the group drawing and in want of targets (towards Actual Sociedad, Las Palmas, Actual Betis and Villarreal). Additionally it is clear that team-mates have been struggling to attach with him. Final season he averaged 34.3 touches per league recreation. His common to date this marketing campaign is 26.7.
Is Lewandowski solely accountable for having barely decrease numbers at this stage of his profession? Most likely not — and clearly Xavi’s change of system additionally had an impact.
However off the pitch, there have been points too.
Lewandowski and Yamal, pictured in September (Pedro Salado/High quality Sport Photographs/Getty Photographs)
Lewandowski is understood to be an trustworthy character. As quickly as he believes one thing is unsuitable, he’ll say it. This has led to some moments of friction.
In February final 12 months, dressing-room sources stated that after Manchester United knocked Barca out of the Europa League at Previous Trafford, Lewandowski had a verbal trade with Ansu Fati, who he criticised for being too egocentric and never combining with team-mates when he had higher choices than to shoot.
This season, in November towards Deportivo Alaves, we additionally noticed Lewandowski complaining to 16-year-old Lamine Yamal when the winger determined to shoot as a substitute of crossing.
However this friction doesn’t reveal a basically dangerous relationship, and nobody within the dressing room has ever doubted Lewandowski’s dedication to the group. When Xavi personally instructed gamers of his determination to step down, a day after he introduced it at a January post-match press convention, Lewandowski confirmed his appreciation for the work he had performed in a tricky second for the membership. Xavi was significantly moved by that.
Hours later, Lewandowski confirmed he might nonetheless be counted as one of many dressing-room leaders by organising a group dinner at his residence in Castelldefels, which all of the first-team gamers attended. It was a team-building exercise, held with the approval of the membership, to assist focus minds on the remainder of the season to come back.
So what’s subsequent for Lewandowski at Barcelona?
With Barcelona needing to promote gamers earlier than fascinated about the right way to reshape their squad this summer time (and appoint a brand new supervisor), a number of senior sources on the membership say they’d welcome a profitable supply for him.
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However, right here — as with a number of others of these Barca would ideally like to maneuver on — the facility is on the participant’s facet. Below contract till a minimum of 2025, he has no need to go away. He additionally absolutely believes he’s able to overcoming his latest dip in type and returning constantly to his goalscoring finest.
Lewandowski dreamed for years of becoming a member of Barcelona, and sources near the participant say they perceive how the environment across the membership can flip significantly bitter when issues don’t go to plan.
When it comes to his contract, he has yet another 12 months absolutely assured earlier than an choice for a fourth that might be robotically triggered if he performs over 55 per cent of Barca’s video games throughout 2024-25.
All the identical, we are able to anticipate stress may come in the summertime, within the type of media studies suggesting how helpful his departure could possibly be for the membership’s funds. Lewandowski’s camp is absolutely conscious of what occurred with Frenkie de Jong in 2022, when Barca spent the summer time attempting to drive him out.
However, for the second, regardless of the doubts amongst a training group that’s set to depart, regardless of the additional pressure and scrutiny his place brings, Lewandowski is within the actual place he desires to be. And for him and Barcelona, there must be no quick concern extra urgent than Wednesday’s journey to Naples.
(Prime picture: DAX Photographs/NurPhoto through Getty Photographs)