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This interview was conducted exclusively in partnership with Gambling Zone.
Without a doubt, Barcelona have found themselves in a complicated situation with Robert Lewandowski. On the one hand, the Polish striker is performing at a level that exceeds expectations at his age, and the Polish striker is getting much more out of the €45 million deal they signed with Bayern Munich. On the other hand, Lewandowski’s increasing years bring the prospect of a sudden decline precariously closer, and they find themselves without a plan for after he leaves, retires or can no longer score the goals expected of him.
Many thought that stage had already arrived last season, but his magnificent renaissance under Hansi Flick has given sporting director Deco valuable time to put a plan in place. There is currently talk of bringing in a striker who is happy to play a supporting role, but who can also replace the Polish striker. There is talk of hiring a replacement with a lot of money, but there are doubts about their ability to reach an agreement, since they are still above their salary limit.
Football Spain asked World Cup winner Emmanuel Petit: how do you solve a “problem” like Robert Lewandowski?
“I think when you get to that age, you have to go season by season. I think I have to talk to Lewandowski and see how he feels at the end of the season. Maybe I’ll tell you that I feel a little tired, it’s getting harder and harder for me to refresh my mind and body every three days. He plays every three days and if he is not professional you drop him right away. That means he is still very professional.”
“At this age, especially if you are on the field, not as a goalkeeper, then you have to listen to your body, and at the moment, I think Lewandowski, for me, does not show any weakness in his body. , but at his age it can come very quickly.”
Jonathan David wants to sign for Barcelona, and would even be open to initially having a supporting role behind Robert Lewandowski. Barça will decide soon. @sport
— Barcacentre (@barcacentre) December 6, 2024
In his opinion, Barcelona should trust Lewandowski’s honesty and work with the Polish striker within the deadlines to remove him from the team at some point.
“I think it would go step by step, at the end of each season you have a meeting with him, ‘how do you feel, do you want to continue?’ It is something that the Barcelona board must take into account, because sooner or later it will go bankrupt, it is natural. But I think I would be happy to move forward with Lewandowski, but maybe try to look for another option.”
Last January, Barcelona spent 30 million euros on Vitor Roque from Athletico Paranaense, with another 31 million available in variables that seem not to be fulfilled. After six torrid months in Catalonia, he was loaned to Real Betis with few signs of a return. However, Petit believes it was the right idea.
“Someone younger, put him in the rotation and tell Lewandowski that he can’t play every game and that he has to be a father figure to them. To teach them things. “The younger player would be more than happy to learn from Lewandowski and they will both get minutes.”
Vitor Roque revealed that he considered giving up and retiring to his small farm in Brazil during his difficult time in Barcelona 🥺 pic.twitter.com/6mCn343rvu
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 6, 2024
It’s a complicated balance and Barcelona have had difficulty finding it in recent years. Players like Kevin Prince Boateng, Paco Alcacer, Martin Braithwaite, Munir El Haddadi and Bojan Krkic struggled without regular minutes. With Lewandowski in the twilight of his career, the equation is somewhat different, with the promise of a possible starting job on the horizon. However, there are no guarantees and, as Roque recently demonstrated, with only game scraps to feed on, it’s easy to go hungry.
