FC Barcelona are chasing the top duo in La Liga. But Robert Lewandowski has not yet buried his championship dream. However, the Pole “completely understands” his coach Xavi’s decision to step down in the summer
Ahead of matchday 24 – Barcelona play Granada at home on Sunday evening – FC Barcelona are in third place, eight points behind leaders Real and six points behind their closest rivals Girona. At the same point in the pre-season, the Catalans had nine points more in their account, seven more than Real.
In a major interview with the Spanish newspaper “Sport”, Robert Lewandowski openly admitted the problems compared to the previous year: “It’s difficult to explain in a few words, there are many reasons.” He sees one of the main reasons in the composition of the squad. “We have a different team than in the first year, fewer experienced players. The many young players naturally have enormous potential, but in the end you also need experience,” says the former Bayern goalscorer: “To play well or at least better with this team, you need a little time. “
With regard to talents such as 16-year-old Lamine Yamal, with whom Lewandowski has not always been happy this season, the 146-time Poland international striker (82 goals) explains: “It’s normal that the mentality at 16 is a little different to that at 22, 23 or 25.” He admires how Barcelona’s talents perform at this level. However, Lewandowski also made it clear to the squad planners: “If you want to keep players for ten years, it is important that there is a balance between young and experienced players now.”
The meagre nine goals in 21 La Liga appearances are of course not enough for Lewandowski’s ambitions. “I had a difficult phase, partly because I didn’t have many chances to score and defensively we had to concede a lot of goals,” said the 35-year-old: “We are working as a team to improve in these areas. “
Title defense in La Liga? “A lot can still happen “
If that happens, Lewandowski has not yet written off the championship. “A lot can still happen,” believes the attacker: “We still have a lot of games ahead of us. Real Madrid can also drop a lot of points, but the most important thing will be that we play much better ourselves and win every game. If we can do that, we still have a chance. “
Definitely the last 15 La Liga games with Xavi on the sidelines. The former Blaugrana player icon announced his departure at the end of January for the summer of 2024. “When you’re a player or coach at FC Barcelona, you’re under a lot of pressure, that’s completely normal,” said Lewandowski, adding: “It’s a very difficult moment, not just for the players, but also for Xavi.”
Lewandowski can empathize with how his head coach is feeling. “From an emotional point of view, it’s very difficult for Xavi and I completely understand him. It’s not only difficult for him, but also for his family,” emphasized “Lewy”: “The best thing we can do now is focus on this season, because we can still win titles with Xavi. “
