The environment of Bayern it is inexhaustible. It is difficult to find a day when a prominent voice is not raised in the great Bavarian club speaking of the ‘Case Robert Lewandowski’ and his public desire to emigrate to the FC Barcelona. In the last hours they were Paul Breitner y Felix Magathtaking advantage of the meeting in Dortmund of the players who were runners-up with Germany in the World Cup in Spain, forty years ago now.
Paul Breitner, during his second spell at Bayern (1978-1983)
Breitner, European champion in 1974 before playing in the three subsequent seasons in the Real Madrid, criticized Lewandowski’s attitude, “which did not exist in my time”. “I don’t remember while he was playing that someone tried to terminate his contract without caring about anything”, criticized Breitner during the presentation of the book ‘The night of Seville’, alluding to the famous World Cup semi-final.82 Germany-France. “It’s fantastic for journalists how things are going at Bayern,” he ironically Breitner.
Magathlegend of Hamburg European champion in 1983 as a footballer, he trained the Bayern between 2004 and 2007. “It is better that the club makes the decisions before someone else”, he commented before predicting a bad time for the Munich club. “In the next few years things will not go as well at Bayern, they will not do as they have in the last ten years,” the charismatic midfielder ventured.
Felix Magath, Bayern coach from 2004 to 2007
The public request of the Polish Golden Shoe to leave Bayern at the age of 33 and after eight seasons at full capacity in Munich caused weeks ago a cataract of reactions from the myths and directors of the eternal champion of the Bundesliga, figures who usually coincide in the same people.
Former European champion goalkeeper in 2001 Oliver Kahnnow Bayern CEO, repeatedly closed the door on Lewandowski. On May 21, at Welt am Sonntag, he declared that at Bayern “there is no talk of Lewandowski’s departure, because he has a contract, he will fulfill it and we want to renew it.” On May 30, after the striker’s public demand, Kahn pointed him out because “statements like that don’t get you anywhere.” “You should know what he has at Bayern. He became a world footballer here twice in a row,” he told Sport1. On June 23, during the presentation of Sadio Manéreiterated that “there is nothing new with Robert, since he has a contract until 2023 and we are looking forward to him joining us on the first day of training.”
Oliver Kahn, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Hasan Salihamidzic, the day they introduced Leroy Sané (Photo by Handout/Getty Images)
the sports director Hasan Salihamidzic, another historic player, recalled on June 12 that “Lewandowski has a contract until 2023 and we are very happy that he is here” and advocated the striker’s ‘step back’: “I think now things will calm down. We know what we have with him and he knows what he has here”, explained the Bosnian executive after a summit between Kahn and Lewandowski in Mallorca. On June 22, Salihamidzic reiterated his speech: “Our position on this matter is clear; Robert has a contract until the summer of 2023 and I hope that we will see him in Säbener Strasse to train on July 12”. On June 24, on Sky, he went further, but with nuances: “”Today, one hundred percent I’m sure Lewandowski will continue next season; everything that has happened is repairable.”
In the ‘oral competition’ of legends there was also no lack Karl Heinz Rummenigge, fueling the debate periodically. The 1970s European champion and outgoing Bayern president said on May 22 that “Lewandowski is not for sale,” providing details of the inside story. “Your agent Pini Zahavi he knows. But tell me: who would sell a player who can score 60 goals a year, who is the best player in the world at 32 years old?” he asked rhetorically in statements to the Polish website Wirtualna Polska.
On May 29, Rummenigge was sarcastic with the arrival of Barça. “What more can Barcelona offer at the moment than Bayern?” Bild TV questioned. And he answered himself: “To be honest, I can’t think of anything.” Next, Rummenigge corroborated that Bayern must always have their ‘9’: “” A player like that is needed, even if he is about to turn 34. It is a goal guarantee that is not found anywhere in Europe.”
Uli Hoeness, three-time European champion in the 1970s and also former president of Bayern, has been one of the most prolific in his comments regarding Lewandowski, at times being especially contemptuous of Barça. “Barcelona wants to sign Lewandowski when they had a debt of one billion,” he said on June 24. “In Germany they would have been bankrupt for a long time. The bankruptcy judge is at the door and they are making million-dollar offers for a Bayern player,” he complained. On June 29 he returned to the charge: “” Barça should save the effort of making another offer for Lewandowski “.
Herbert Hainer, Less famous than the previous ones but current president of Bayern, he spoke to Bild on June 5 to condemn Lewandowski’s conduct. “I wouldn’t have done it if he was Robert.” “We have always said that Lewandowski has a contract with Bayern until June 30, 2023. And a contract is a contract!” He recalled before stressing: “I think he knows very well what he has at Bayern, that is, a club that treats its players very well”.
Other illustrious voices from the Bayern environment have been more lukewarm regarding the continuity of Lewandowski. This same week another former great captain, Lothar Matthewand the coach who, in 2001, reconquered the European Cup 25 years later for Bayern, Ottmar Hitzfeld. “If Lewandowski wants to go, let him go, he doesn’t make sense to stay together,” Hitzfeld said. Matthäus was seduced by the possibility of exchanging Lewandowski for Cristiano Ronaldo. “If Bayern thinks that Cristiano Ronaldo is still physically able to really help for one or two years and can reinvest the transfer generated by Lewandowski, I would think about it,” he said in his column on Sky.
In the opinion ceremony there were more protagonists. former defender Klaus Augenthaler, a reference in the 80s. Something strange must already have been smelled in April because he asked that Bayern react quickly with Lewandowski. “There is no doubt that Robert is one of the best, if not the best signing in the history of Bayern, he wants to constantly improve and I think the club would do well to keep him,” he warned weeks before the request to leave 9.
Stefan Effenberg, reference of the continental champion Bayern in 2001, has been the most ambiguous Bavarian legend reviewing his past and present opinions on Lewandowski. Four years ago, the former midfielder called for “a more German Bayern” in his T-online column. “Lewandowski should leave if he is not happy”, he pointed out and even then he cited the destiny that is so much talked about now. “PSG or Barça are willing to pay 100, 150 or 200 million for a player, when for the same amount you can have six or seven Germans, the strategy should be to create an FC Bayern Germany,” he pointed out excitedly. In March 20222, two months before the ‘Lewandowski Affair’ broke out, Effenberg instead advocated making an effort to keep it. “If Bayern don’t try to renew Lewandowski, it will be the worst decision in the club’s history. Nobody really understands it. If Bayern really have an idea of Haaland as ‘plan A’ and Lewandowski is only ‘plan B’, Lewandowski will never forget it. That will not leave those responsible in a good place, “he said in Sport1.
It is evident that the desire to leave Lewandowski has put the entire Bayern environment in a frenzy of combat, the official, the unofficial but, in all cases, highly respected voices in Munich.
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