Barcelona star Robert Lewandowski has not denied reports in the Spanish media that the Catalan club’s management asked him to stop scoring so they wouldn’t owe Bayern Munich more money.
The Polish international joined Barcelona in the summer of 2022 for €45 million. The contract between Barça and Bayern Munich stipulated that the Catalan club would pay an additional bonus if Lewandowski scored a certain number of goals in his first season at Camp Nou.
Lewandowski had already scored 23 goals and topped the La Liga scoring charts in the 2022-23 season. Afterward, he met with some Barcelona officials who asked him to stop scoring so the bonus payment to Bayern wouldn’t be due, due to the difficult financial situation the Catalan club was facing at the time and continues to struggle with.
Lewandowski said in a media interview, “There are some things I don’t want to talk about. I have a lot of respect for Barcelona and everyone who works at the club. I was well aware of the situation the club was in; there were many things that needed to happen for the good of the club.”
He added, “In short, it was about an extra bonus. At that moment, Barcelona was scrutinizing every euro very closely. It wasn’t easy, and the amount wasn’t small.”
He concluded, “For me, it didn’t change anything. I didn’t feel there was a problem with the situation, but I kept wondering whether I should score goals or not.”
Lewandowski is currently in the final season of his contract with Barcelona, which expires at the end of this season. The player is seeking to extend his stay until the summer of 2027, while Joan Laporta’s administration is hesitant due to his age and noticeable decline in form.
