“Robert has to say something,” Hansi Flick hinted to his players in the last training session before the final match of the season at Camp Nou. And the professional Lewandowski spoke. Four seasons after his arrival, the Pole, who will turn 38 in August, will not renew with FC Barcelona. After informing his teammates, Lewandowski announced the end of his time at the club in an emotional video posted on his social media. This Saturday he will play his last match wearing the Barcelona jersey at Spotify Camp Nou. And he will be a starter so the fans can say goodbye to him.
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“After four years full of challenges and hard work, it is time to move on. I leave with the feeling of having accomplished the mission. Four seasons, three championships. I will never forget the affection I received from the fans from my first days. Catalonia is my place on earth. Thanks to everyone I met during these four wonderful years. A special thanks to President Laporta for giving me the opportunity to live the most incredible chapter of my career. Barça has returned to where it belongs. Visca el Barça. Visca Catalunya,” read the message from the Pole.
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The decision at the club was practically unanimous. In the offices of the sports city, they considered that the Polish forward has delivered great performance in his four years as a Blaugrana, three of them with an increasing salary. It is true that, during the electoral campaign, Laporta spoke of renewing him, but with a lower salary than the current one and assuming a more residual role. Lewandowski, who is now aiming for Saudi Arabia, did not see the situation clearly. He will turn 38 but believes he can still perform at a good level. And, after talking with Hansi Flick in what was the key conversation he needed, he made the decision to leave.
“Leaving now is good for him and for the club, we will have to restructure the team, but we are happy. A great person and a world-class star is leaving,” explained Hansi Flick, making his position clear. The most important of all.
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“Leaving now is good for him and for the club,” Flick explained
The Pole leaves the club with 119 goals scored and 24 assists in 191 matches played. He leaves with an enviable record: Three Leagues, one Copa del Rey, and three Spanish Super Cups. But the most important thing is the legacy he leaves in a very young squad that has learned a lot from the professionalism of the Pole. Always persistent in improving, always training and being an example on and off the pitch. Especially for the young players.
On his social media, the Barcelona player has thanked the support of all the people he has met during these “beautiful four years” and, especially, President Joan Laporta for giving him “the opportunity to live the most important chapter” of his career. “Barça is back where it deserves to be. Visca el Barça. Visca Catalunya,” he concluded.
For Lewandowski, who won everything at Bayern, playing in Barcelona has been the best stage of his life. And Barcelona now has homework in the transfer market. It will not be easy to replace the Pole, but that is the will of the sports management which, as this newspaper has been explaining, has been planning the next year without Robert Lewandowski for months with several options on the table.
