BARÇA | Entrevista a LEWANDOWSKI: "Me veo mínimo un año más a este nivel" | FC BARCELONA (PARTE 1)

We're joined by Robert Lewandowski, the FC Barcelona striker, who has scored no less than 42 goals in his third season. We're going to analyse with him what this spectacular season has been like and what the future holds, both for Lewandowski and for FC Barcelona. Robert, first of all, thank you very much for joining us on your vacation, we really appreciate it. First of all, how would you describe this season? First of all, thank you very much. Yes, I think we're talking about the season. I think it's been almost a perfect season. I think we've won titles, the League, the Cup, the Super Cup and the Champions League semi-final. It's a moment that I can almost say, you know? We were very close to playing in the Champions League final, but the final, yes, that's football. But I think we're very happy, very pleased, not only because we've won titles, but also because of how we've played, you know? With not only emotions, but I think the fans and the people who are watching our games, I think you have to have a lot of, you know? A lot of heart in this team and that's why I think we have to be very, very happy. 36 years old and in your third season it's the season in which you've scored the most goals, similar numbers to those you achieved in your best years at Bayern, uh, 42 goals. How do you explain this? What's the explanation, Robert? Oh, yes, my age is a what? How can I say it? It could be age, just numbers and I know that, uh, I feel very good physically, mentally, yes. There was a moment during the injury and a little bit after the injury that I felt a little worse than before, but that's normal. But throughout the season one think we've had a bit of a difficult time, worse I think at the end of the year, but it's normal that you have a very young team. I said, I think that right now and at the end or after the match against Atletico Madrid when we lost, it's better than the past moment, not later, you know? And if you have a young team, it's normal that it's a little difficult to play at your best all season. But from the beginning of the year to the end of the season, I think we've been playing very well at a very high level and we've won many games, not just one or two, but with many goals. Yes, but I think that at my age I'm also very happy because I know that I'm physically very well prepared for the season. I can play at a top level for at least one year. At the moment, you've signed for another year. In principle, without any optional year, right? But this is going to be your last season at Barca, the next one that comes, or is it even more so that you can compete for a longer time without looking at your ID card? I think I have enough time to decide what I want to do after this season or next season. I think next season one can play at the same level as last season, but that's football, you know? There's also something else outside of football that could change in the end, which is what I have in mind, for example. Yes, that's why I think it's too early to think about this stuff now. I have a little bit of time to rest, then I also have time for preseason and to prepare well for the season, and I'm sure that I'm physically fit. We have a few weeks to I think it's a big step for us. You know, you see that many teams only have two or three weeks off, but they rest between the last or first game or one or two more weeks. That's football now, but I think that in the end, the quality is low because of this, you know? It's impossible that you have to play almost the entire year without rest, at least three weeks and time to prepare for the new season, but our side is better because we're focusing on our things, and I really enjoy myself with this team and I'm very proud that I can play with this team. That's what I was going to tell you, seeing the quality that this team has, the projection that it has. How much would you pay to be 10 years younger? Em, you know? I have a lot of experience in my life. I've seen a lot of things in football and I don't think I have to pay to go back 10 years or to be 10 years younger, you know? And everything I've done in my life, I think I can be or I can be proud, you know? Yes, in the end, no doubt, no, you can't. Buy football now and 10 years ago too. Football changes I think every three years. Uh, I, I see how football works now, but I also see how football worked 10 or 15 years ago. There's a big difference, but which is better? It's hard to say, I wasn't saying it mainly because, of course, this team gives the feeling that a long-lasting era is coming, that they're going to be able to win many titles. The return to the CN, that's why I was referring to all those ingredients. Yes, but I'm also on the other side, you know that when I arrived at Barcelona, I knew beforehand that it was a difficult step to take, you know? But I wanted to get to Barcelona and play for this team. I knew that this team needed a little time to change things, to find a level and to find things that work. Well, you know that I'm thinking about things or about myself at the beginning of Barcelona and now I know that I have a player who also changed many things within FC Barcelona and now I hope that this is the club that goes up a lot and returns to the level it was before, you know? It's normal in football, you need a little time. You can't change everything in one or two seasons. You always need time to be stable. Hey, you're one of the few who had worked with Flick at Bayern before, within this squad. Hey, have you been surprised by the performance he's been able to get out of this team, which was practically the same as last season? I think that before I was talking to Hans, I said, how do I see the situation at this club? But, Hansi, I think that I've been a Barcelona scout at a high level. As Barcelona scouts, I think that every player this season has played at a top level, or at their level, you know? And it's easy for a coach, and I think Hansi has spoken to all the players, and he knew that if we have to, or want to win titles, we need players at their level, and that's why I think that this season many players have played at their level. And I think that next season, next season, it might be a little more difficult, but if you prepare yourself mentally for these things, I'm sure that we can play with a little more experience and in the end, it will be a little easier. But, of course, every opponent now wants to win against us, and we have to prepare for this. Perfect. Have you noticed any changes from the Hans you had at Bayern to the one at Barca? Well, not as a person, but as a coach, I think a little bit. It can't be the same as a coach in one team in the same place, or in another team. I think you have different players, you have a different situation at the club, and I think Hans has done things perfectly that in the end worked or worked very well with this team. I think it's very important for coaches if you see how and what works best, you know? I mean, he came with prior work done, right? He was very clear about what the team had to improve and he applied it. Yes, I think Hans always had the idea of how or what we can improve things, not only on the field, but off it too, you know? In the end, we're not just players, but we're also men, and when we feel good, we can play better. And I think Hans knows exactly how both things work, and I think that if you have a player who is very happy, physically happy, and who feels good on the pitch, we can play better than before. You said earlier that the perfect season lacked the icing on the cake of the Champions League. Do you see yourself lifting the Champions League before your time at Barca ends? It would be a good title to win the Champions League again, of course, but we've seen, for example, the match against Inter. If I think the first match, if we win, we're now in Munich, I don't think so. The second match, the first match, but in the end we lost by two goals very quickly. Then we also scored three goals, but it wasn't enough to win the final, and I think we were the better team, but something was missing. And yes, I think the Champions League is a goal for every player, always a goal to win, and I think if we're lucky, if we have a player who hasn't been injured, but not in the most important moment or the most important match, at this moment we can talk about whether we have a chance to win or not, but always before the season is better, we're focusing on the next match by match, and if we're in the semi-finals we can talk about the final, but before that I think it's always too soon. What happened in Milan could be a good lesson for a team as young as Barca's for the future. That's for sure. I saw in the match against Spain that we did better, which we didn't do against Inter Milan, for example. Sometimes they're very small things, but things that help you win a title in the final, you know? But it's normal, you know? You can't expect young players to know exactly what we could do now in this situation. It's a lot of fantasy. There's also a good side, but on the other hand you also have to look for vigilance between the two, you know? It's difficult, isn't it? It's easy for fantasy and craft, right? Yes, but it's difficult for everyone. It's not easy, it's football. If in the end everything can talk about football, it's easy, but in the end things don't work out well or are missing, and in the end you don't get another title. Perfect. What do you know is that you anticipate too much? And in a new prefer, you said, to go game by game and see how you feel. But if you finish next season with the feelings, with the performance you've given this one, would you be able to continue at Barca or your idea, with your family, uh, apart from being clear about settling in Barcelona, if I'm not mistaken, uh, could you have a getaway to Arabia, the United States? Or does that not cross your mind? Right now I have to say right now I don't have a clue, you know? There are many things, you know? Not that I'm physically good, that I'm mentally good, you know? I can say what I want to do, you know? I want to do it at the moment, but in football, we're talking about a year or more, you know? It's a long time in football, three months, a week, two weeks, a long time. But right now I'm thinking that the most important thing is that I'm preparing for a very good season. Hem. We play match by match and you know that I have an idea that it's time to start thinking about my future. I'll take it, but now is not the time. I feel good. I know that many people are looking at me for my age, not for my performance on the field, but for my age. And it may be that I've played a very good game, but I haven't scored a goal. But why am I at my age? I've played badly, for example, you know? But it's normal. I can't do anything with your numbers. No one can say anything about your age. Yes, yes. But then I look at my data, you know? And my data doesn't differ between now and two or three years ago. And I think it's a good result for me too, to say it for my future, regardless of what the future holds for you. Do you and your family have any idea or are you sure about staying in Barcelona once you finish, once you hang up your boots? Yes, it's also an idea because we're living in Barcelona. Yes, of course. Ah, my family or we have a good feeling about living in Barcelona. We have a lot of friends too. My children are also very, very happy with school, with daycare, you know? For this reason, and I think it is also a plan to stay in Barcelona. Perfect. Ah, you won all four classics. And by a landslide, except for one that we suffered, the others by a landslide. Ah, which of the four do you prefer, Robert? Hum, I think at the Bernabeu 4-0. Always an away game and you won 4-0 on the pitch just now against Real Madrid. It's something special. Perfect. Okay, that's it, we're still talking about the future. If the club asked you for your opinion, which player would you recommend for the future to be your replacement at Barca? No, it's not a matter for the club to come to me or ask me, it happened with Tech. You were there, not as an intermediary, and you convinced them that I don't think. The club has very good scouting and they know which players are perfect for the Barcelona club. But depending on your taste in football, which player, let's say, you choose without anyone asking for your opinion, which player would you see playing as Lewandowski at Barca once you decide to leave? It's not an easy matter, you know? You don't have many strikers in football right now, also because of money, you know? Yes, of course, that's a matter of. Let's say, there's no problem with money, you can sign whoever you want. It's not difficult, you know? There are not many players I've seen so far who have played more than 2 or 3 years at the top level and have scored more than 40 goals because of this. You know? I think the level of goals has dropped a little bit or a little bit, as you saw last year, you know? Um, sometimes it's better to wait, you know? What I said right now is that it's not easy to find a player because the bar has been set so high that it's difficult to surpass it. For this reason, you know, this is not easy. And I'm talking about a player who hasn't scored in 1 or 2 seasons, but 3, 4, 5 or more. And it's not easy, I don't think it's easy, they. Don't score goals or go for goals or, that's not easy, you know? I think the club has some players, in other positions too, but in the end, do you have to have a perfect solution for signing, but also for the club or the coach, or the system in football? It's not easy now. I think the last 2 years, from this last 2 years until now, it's harder to find a player that you can sign than you can sign to the club.