Barça forward Robert Lewandowski, reborn this season, was on Rio Ferdinand’s podcast and answered several questions about his football career. Among them, the 36-year-old striker referred to the incredible and early emergence of his teammate Lamine Yamal.
“With Lamine the first thing I thought was ‘How is it possible at that age?’ “I was already at a level at 16 where it was like impossible to be so good and so intelligent,” commented the Pole.
Lewandowski on Lamine
“I was already at a level at 16 where it was like impossible to be so good and so intelligent”
“I always try to give them some kind of advice because, on the one hand, what they have achieved and what they are doing is incredible, but they also have to think that soon they will have the great challenge of continuing at this level and even giving one more step. And we’re not talking about the next two or three years. We talked about the next ten years maybe and what he has to do to stay on top until he’s 28, 29, 30 or even longer. “That is the great challenge of his career,” Lewandowski added about his help to Lamine and the rest of the young Barça talents.
Lewandowski on the 2020 Ballon d’Or
“I didn’t understand why they didn’t give me the Ballon d’Or”
The author of 17 goals in 19 games this season also gave his opinion on the 2020 Ballon d’Or, where he was the top favorite. This edition was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. “At the time I didn’t understand why. All the leagues were being played, the Champions League was being played, and for me it was like, why? I know that football sometimes works like politics, because if you have football, you have business. And if you have a business, you have policies,” Lewandowski stated.
The Barça ‘9’ also addressed how close he was during his time at Dortmund to joining Manchester United, after a conversation with Sir Alex Ferguson, in which he naturally became “nervous”. “I remember that talk, it was in preseason and we were playing some games with Borussia. I knew he was going to call me. And at half-time, they substituted me because I knew I was going to play 45 minutes. Then I got the call and, at that time, my level of English was different than now. And, above all, if I was going to talk to this type of person who was calling me, Sir Alex Ferguson, with that Scottish accent.
Finally, the German club managed to retain Lewandowski. “I remember the conversation with the president of Dortmund. He told me they needed me. “That they were not going to sell me to Manchester United because it was very important for them and it was not the time,” said the former Bayern player about his non-arrival at Old Trafford.
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