The truth about Barcelona superstar’s contract – unilateral termination option, €6m wage drop next season | OneFootball

A lot has been written about the conditions in Robert Lewandowski’s contract at FC Barcelona that would allow him to play a fourth season with the club.

According to some reports, the 36-year-old superstar’s contract runs until 2025, with an option for an additional year, which would be activated after he plays in a set number of this season.

With Lewandowski have been pretty much a permanent fixture in the team this season, it has been suggested that he is only a handful of games away before the renewal clause gets activated, keeping him at the club until 2026.

The actual clause

However, as per SPORT, this is not the case. In fact, the contract that Lewandowski signed on July 19, 2022, when he joined Barcelona from Bayern Munich already includes a four-year duration, lasting until June 30, 2026.

Therefore, as of today, Lewandowski does not need to play any additional matches for this theoretical renewal.

In fact, it is the opposite – if he does not play a specific percentage of matches between now and the end of the season, it will be Barcelona who can, unilaterally, terminate his contract.

The agreement signed by both parties reads as follows:

“Both parties agree that if the PLAYER’s participation (“matches played”) during the third season (2024/25) is less than 55% of official matches, FC BARCELONA will have the right to terminate this employment contract early.”

Barcelona’s top scorer. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

The text also specifies that a “match played” will be any game in which he starts or plays at least 45 minutes, even if he is not a starter.

In other words, the player will not automatically renew if he reaches the stipulated number of games; instead, Barcelona will lose the option to terminate the fourth year of the contract.

As things stand, Lewandowski can be relaxed because the striker is a key player for Flick, and in that sense, he has effectively secured the fourth year of his contract.

€6 million Less in the Final Year

The Polish forward has already played 31 matches out of the 34 games the team has played this season, but Barcelona could end up playing a total of 51 matches.

At the moment, Lewandowski has played 50.8% of official matches, which are the only ones counted. To surpass the 55% threshold and eliminate the possibility of contract termination, he would need to play three more matches.

Furthermore, the report adds that in the fourth year of the contract, Lewandowski will earn a salary of €26 million gross – which is €6 million less than what he is earning in the current season.

During his first year at Barcelona, the Pole had a fixed salary of €20 million, while the figure rose to €26 million in his second year. This season, he is receiving the highest pay: €32 million gross, which will reduce by €6 million next term.