Lewandowski’s departure to Barca leaves Bayern in quest of new megastar striker
Berlin (AFP) – The departure of Robert Lewandowski leaves Bayern Munich with the unenviable process of discovering a alternative for the Bundesliga’s maximum prolific recent striker after his dating with the membership became bitter.
Following 8 superb years in Munich, successful the Bundesliga each and every season and lifting the Champions League trophy in 2020, Lewandowski introduced in past due Might that “my tale with Bayern involves an finish”.
The ahead turns 34 in August, but Lewandowski is appearing no indicators of slowing down and now embarks on a recent problem to make as a lot affect on Spain’s L. a. Liga as he did within the Bundesliga.
He scored 35 occasions ultimate season in Germany’s peak flight, after breaking the single-season scoring document within the earlier marketing campaign with 41 Bundesliga objectives, snatching the document from Gerd Mueller who held it for 49 years.
The Polish striker quits Germany’s peak flight having scored 312 objectives in 383 Bundesliga video games for Bayern and previous membership Dortmund.
Simplest German legend Mueller, who scored 365 objectives for Bayern in 427 Bundesliga video games all through the Sixties and Seventies, netted extra.
However since Lewandowski gained FIFA’s absolute best male participant award for the second one 12 months working in January, his dating with Bayern has regularly unravelled.
– Communications breakdown –
With Lewandowski’s contract expiring in 2023, Bayern sports activities director Hasan Salihamidzic insisted firstly of the 12 months that the megastar striker used to be central to their plans.
But when a Sky reporter relayed the message in a post-match interview in February, Lewandowski dropped the primary trace that communications had damaged down. “I’m listening to that for the primary time,” he stated.
As experiences emerged that Barcelona have been desperate to fulfil the striker’s want of taking part in on the Camp Nou, Salihamidzic and Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn may best insist Lewandowski could be held to his contract.
He completed ultimate season banging in objectives for Bayern, incomes the trophy because the Bundesliga’s top-scorer for the 5th directly 12 months.
Regardless of successful a tenth directly Bundesliga identify ultimate season, there used to be a lingering air of sadness after Bayern’s surprise Champions League go out to Villarreal within the quarter-finals.
A defeat in Spain and draw at house confirmed how a ways Bayern these days are from the summit of Ecu soccer, fuelling Lewandowski’s want to go away.
As tensions simmered between the participant and membership, head trainer Julian Nagelsmann admitted he sought after the subject resolved to devise for subsequent season.
Lewandowski’s team-mate Leon Goretzka stated it used to be necessary to “discover a just right resolution for everybody concerned.”
But the prolific poacher may not be simple to exchange.
His 55 objectives in all competitions in 2019/20 have been key to Bayern successful the treble, as Lewandowski become the primary participant to be top-scorer within the Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup competitions in one season.
– 5 objectives, 9 mins –
He has made a occupation out of surprising goal-scoring feats.
In 2015, he wanted slightly below 9 electrifying mins off the bench to attain 5 objectives, main the fee as Bayern roared again from a target down in opposition to Wolfsburg to dish out a 5-1 thrashing.
Two years previous, Lewandowski scored 4 objectives for Borussia Dortmund within the 2013 semi-final first leg in opposition to Actual Madrid, serving to his former membership into the overall, the place they have been overwhelmed by means of Bayern at Wembley.
Lewandowski used to be noticed as a uncooked 21-year-old taking part in for Polish membership Lech Poznan, the place he scored 41 objectives in 82 video games, and joined Dortmund in 2010.
He made his leap forward below Juergen Klopp, serving to Dortmund win back-to-back Bundesliga titles in 2010/11 and 2011/12.
Lewandowski put himself firmly on Bayern’s radar with a hat-trick in opposition to them within the prestigious atmosphere of Berlin’s Olympic Stadium as Dortmund romped to a 5-2 win within the 2012 German Cup last.
Two years later, Bayern signed him on a unfastened switch and, thank you in large part to Lewandowski’s ruthlessness in entrance of target, the Bavarian giants have since ruled the Bundesliga.
His depature to Spain is possibly the most important danger to Bayern’s monopoly of Gefmany’s peak flight with the quest for a brand new megastar striker doubtlessly now on.
