Piquant revelation: Barça wanted to trick Bayern over Lewandowski transfer | OneFootball

A new biography about Robert Lewandowski is making waves in Poland – and sheds a delicate light on FC Barcelona. According to the book, managers at the Catalan club are said to have deliberately asked the striker not to score any more goals in the 2022/23 season in order to avoid a bonus payment to FC Bayern.

The book „Lewandowski: The Real One“ by journalist Sebastian Staszewski is currently the subject of heated debate in Poland, with one of the most spectacular passages concerning FC Bayern.

According to Staszewski, Lewandowski was asked to attend a meeting after a Barça training session in the 2023/23 season, in which several board members – including president Joan Laporta – took part. The club had already won the Spanish championship a few weeks earlier and Lewandowski was the top scorer.

Then, according to Staszewski’s account, an unbelievable scene occurred for the ex-Bayern striker. A manager allegedly said to him: „Robert, we don’t want you to score any more goals in the last few games.“

A request that, according to the book, left Lewandowski completely perplexed – after all, the title had been decided, as had the top scorer’s crown. Nevertheless, the striker was stunned, because in over ten years as a professional, no one had ever asked him to deliberately not score.

Reason for the request: bonus payment to Bayern

photo: IMAGO

According to the biography, the background is of an economic nature. Lewandowski’s contract with Barça is said to have included a clause that would have provided for a bonus payment of 2.5 million euros to FC Bayern if the striker scored more than 25 league goals. The two clubs had agreed on this in the summer of 2022 when the Pole moved from Munich to Barcelona.

Lewandowski had already scored 23 goals – and could have broken the mark. Barça, already in serious financial difficulties, apparently wanted to avoid this payment.

As a result, Lewandowski did not score in the last two games of the season, remaining on 23 goals – but still became top scorer and, according to the book, played a central role for the Blaugrana.

Lewandowski himself recently declared at a press conference that he had read the new book and enjoyed it. At the same time, the biography contains several passages about internal tensions in the Polish national team – the existence of which the 37-year-old has confirmed.

He has not yet commented publicly on the specific Barça episode.