#Germany #furious #Robert #Lewandowski
At other clubs, we would surely have bowed after a few weeks of talks, but in Germany, and especially at Bayern Munich, we are not very used to seeing players force their way out. He doesn’t fit into the club culture of the Bavarians. Surely more than in other places, the institution is still the strongest and will continue to be. Even Franck Ribéry’s false start at Real Madrid in the summer of 2009 and 2010 had finally tightened ties with the Frenchman. “I was torn, I had gone crazy”, Ribéry had explained a few years later, returning to this episode. It was Uli Hoeness and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge who managed to convince him to stay. “They are men with class. They know how to run a business. And they know how to talk to people. They stood their ground, because they needed me. »
Together they ended up getting this famous and highly sought after Champions League. Ribéry had to wait until 2013, but his patience was rewarded. The former Marseillaise is still an idol in Bavaria. He even became frank kaiserdespite this episode. Time can also do its work for Robert Lewandowski. The situation is not exactly the same for the Pole. After 8 years at Bayern winning everything, including the Champions League, the striker wants to look the other way. He said it and repeated it publicly many times. The club took notice. But this time, the management is not in a strong position. Lewandowski only has one year left on his contract. It is about saving face while studying the economic question. His departure was probably not planned, let alone without a transfer fee.
The German press does not digest
Little by little, Bayern is getting used to the idea that the man with 344 goals is going to leave, but things are not going well. The 33-year-old’s latest public statements are seen as disrespectful and tarnish the story linking him to the Rekordmeister. “What footballer would want to come to Bayern knowing that something like this could happen to him? Where is then the loyalty and respect? I’ve always been ready, I’ve had eight great years here, I’ve met so many great people and I want to keep it that way in my mind. I could understand if I had played here for two or four years, but after such a successful career, my will and support, loyalty and respect are probably more important than this case. In Germany, we do not digest.
Although Lewandowski has tried to calm things down ever since, citing misunderstood statements, the damage has already been done. Admired for his scoring skills, he is now vilified by the press and observers across the Rhine. We don’t touch the institution. “Robert Lewandowski drags successful years at FC Bayern through the mud and makes fun of Bayern fans. He did not deserve Gerd Müller’s legacy.”headlines the editorial by Pit Gottschalk, editor of Sports1who writes more “Lewandowski should not be surprised that his attempts to blackmail FC Bayern are interpreted as damaging the club. He doesn’t care that the eight years we’ve been together drag him through the mud and that the Bayern fans want to chase him to hell. He also accuses Barça of having supported this divorce.
Bayern tries not to lose face
A Image In addition, we defend the culture of the club. “Stay strong, FC Bayern!” publishes the newspaper, with reference to the famous article 17 of FIFA that would allow the striker to break his contract with Bayern in exchange for compensation corresponding more or less to the salary that the German club still has to pay him. For Image, this case is also a way for management to establish its authority, which has been disputed for many weeks. Failure could force resignation. “I hope that FC Bayern will take advantage of the Lewandowski affair to send a signal that the contracts are still worth something. Especially since this is the perfect opportunity for controversial board members Hasan Salihamidzic (45) and Oliver Kahn (52) to score points. »
The best way for Lewandowski to return to his decision would be to attract the best possible players, the same argument that Nasser Al-Khelaïfi made a year ago for Mbappé when Lionel Messi was introduced. “After a difficult season, Kahn and Salihamidzic could emerge as big winners from this transfer window: keep Lewandowski, sign Liverpool star Sadio Mané (30). This is Bayern! No club in the world could offer a better attack.”. The credibility of the Bavarian president is at stake. “One thing must be made clear to Kahn: if he deviates from the publicly announced change ban, he would lose all credibility. According to his most famous quote, he would have deposed himself and resigned as CEO of Bayern after just one year.
A forced departure synonymous with the end of an era
For other majors, on the other hand, the game is already lost. We have to think about what’s next for Lothar Matthaüs, whose Bayern mistake was flirting too much with Erling Haaland’s entourage. “The statements are a clear sign that Robert is very disappointed and does not feel valued. For me, money is not everything in this situation. If you play like Robert and you know that the club is still interested in Haaland, it’s hard to accept. FC Bayern has every right to take a look. But also Lewandowski has the right to express himself in this way.assures the 1990 world champion and now adviser to German television. “It’s too late now. This situation is not win-win but lose-lose. Both sides would lose if Robert stayed.”said a few days ago.
The player with the most caps for the German national team (150 caps, 23 goals) is especially concerned about the new page that will have to be written. Lewandowski’s departure marks the end of an ultra-dominant era of Bayern Munich, marked by emblematic players such as the Pole but also Neuer or Müller. The latter, who has announced that he has been losing ground for a few years, is resisting very well (4x the best passer in the Bundesliga in the last 5 seasons), in particular thanks to the technical relationship that unites him with his partner. “I am not only sorry for Bayern, the fans and the Bundesliga. I’m also a bit worried about Thomas Müller, both of them took a lot of advantage. Will he find such a complementary partner? Nothing is less secure, for one or the other.