Lewandowski addresses allegations that he was told to stop scoring at Barcelona

Robert Lewandowski has finally addressed one of the most controversial claims of his Barcelona career, that the club asked him to stop scoring goals to avoid paying a bonus to Bayern Munich.

The Polish striker is months away from the end of his Barcelona contract after four productive seasons at Camp Nou following his €45 million move from Bayern in 2022.

While Lewandowski has made it clear he will see out his deal and not seek a January exit, questions continue to surround how his time in Spain has unfolded.

Those questions intensified after the release of Lewandowski: The Real One, a new book by journalist Sebastian Staszewski.

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The book claims Barcelona grew anxious during Lewandowski’s debut season as he approached a clause that would trigger a €2.5 million bonus payment to Bayern if he scored 25 goals.

According to the book, with the La Liga already wrapped up and Barcelona struggling financially, Lewandowski was called into a meeting with head coach Xavi and senior club officials.

The concern was simple: every euro mattered. In the end, Lewandowski finished the season on 23 goals, failing to score in the final two matches, yet still winning the Pichichi as La Liga’s top scorer.

Now, the striker has broken his silence. While stopping short of outright confirmation, Lewandowski admitted the club’s financial situation played a role.

“There are some things I don’t want to speak about. I respect FC Barcelona and everyone who works there. I was aware of the club situation. Many things had to be resolved for the good of the club,” he said.

He further revealed that he chose not to make an issue of the situation, even admitting that at times he found himself weighing up whether to score or hold back during matches.

“In summary, it was a bonus. At that moment, Barça were looking at every single euro. It was not a small thing.” “For me, it didn’t change anything, I had no problems with it, but I kept wondering if I should score or not,” he added.

FKA/JE