THis biography “Lewandowski. Plausiwi” (“Lewandowski. The Real Deal”), written by Sebastian Staszewski, revealed one of the most surprising and controversial episodes of the recent era of FC Barcelona. According to the author, Robert Lewandowski was the protagonist of an unusual situation in which the Blaugrana club, already the 2022-23 LaLiga champions, explicitly asked him to stop scoring in the last two matches of the championship.
Robert, please stop scoring goals.
After being eliminated from the World Cup, France U17s and Colombia U17s get into a violent brawl after the match
At the time, Barcelona under Xavi had already mathematically secured the title, and Lewandowski was the absolute leader in the scoring with 23 goals. According to the book, it was in this situation that the Polish striker met with members of the board, including Joan Laporta, and heard a phrase he had never heard before in his career: “Robert, I want you to stop scoring in the last two games.” Stryker’s surprise was immediate.
Economic reasons behind Barcelona’s decision
As Staszewski explained, the request had a purely economic motive. If Lewandowski achieved 25 goals in LaLiga, the club would have had to pay Bayern Munich a €2.5 million bonus. With the title already secured and Barcelona’s delicate financial situation, the board would have preferred to avoid paying the team’s star striker any extra, even if it meant asking him to tone down his scoring performance.
Finally, Lewandowski played the remaining two games of the season, but did not score in either game. However, the Polish player overtook Karim Benzema to become the top scorer in the tournament, reaffirming the impact he has had on Spanish football since his arrival.
Another detail of the book exposing the Blaugrana economic crisis
The book also details other anecdotes that highlight the club’s complex financial situation. During team outings, Lewandowski noticed that there was little variety of meat or fish on the menu, something a soccer player at his level with a strict diet would not have noticed. he asked the chef, and the answer was clear. “We have to save money.”
This detail, seemingly trivial, reinforces the narrative that Barcelona were (and still are) experiencing a period of severe financial constraints, affecting even basic aspects of the team’s logistics.
A chapter that promises to generate debate in the Barcelona environment
The revelations in Staszewski’s book reopen the debate about internal decisions made by the club at a time of extreme financial weakness.
The story of asking a goal scorer of Lewandowski’s caliber to stop scoring for financial reasons will no doubt become a hot topic both in Spain and in the international football environment.
