“For me, it wasn't the most important thing” - When current Barcelona hero explained why he said no to Cristiano Ronaldo wanting him at Real Madrid
Barcelona star Robert Lewandowski once revealed that seeing his impressive form in the UEFA Champions League, Cristiano Ronaldo urged him to join Real Madrid. The Pole was at Borussia Dortmund at the time. He eventually signed for their league rivals Bayern Munich in 2014 before joining Barcelona in 2022.
Lewandowski has faced Real Madrid eight times in the UEFA Champions League. He was a Borussia Dortmund player on five occasions while the remaining three times, he was at Bayern Munich. In the 2012-13 season, Dortmund defeated Madrid 4-1 in the Champions League semi-final first leg, with the Polish striker scoring all four goals for his side.
Robert Lewandowski's exploits in the tournament caught the attention of both Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos, who were playing for Los Blancos at the time. Speaking to Diario AS in 2020, Lewandowski confirmed claims of Ramos and Ronaldo asking him to join them at the club. He said (via Daily Mail):
"Yes [it's true] (Ronaldo and Ramos spoke asked him about joining Madrid). You can go to the Spanish league or to one in another country, another great club. But for me, it was not the most important thing. Where I am, I have been able to reach my maximum level, and I want to continue doing well."
The striker added about his then-club Bayern Munich:
"I am at one of the best clubs in the world [Bayern Munich], and I know I can be happy here. We are at a very high level, from the playing squad to the sporting facilities. It's all much easier when playing for a club like this."
Robert Lewandowski joined Bayern Munich in 2014, scoring 344 goals and recording 73 assists in 375 appearances for the club before joining Barcelona in 2022. The Polish striker came face-to-face with Cristiano Ronaldo's Real Madrid in the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons. Both times, Los Blancos defeated the Bavarian giants and eventually won the Champions League.
When former advisor claimed that Robert Lewandowski wanted to play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid in 2014
In 2020, Robert Lewandowski's former advisor Cezary Kucharski revealed that the striker wanted to be Cristiano Ronaldo's teammate at Real Madrid before moving to Bayern Munich in 2014. Speaking to Polish football channel Futbolownia (via GOAL), he said:
"At one point in the negotiations, he no longer wanted to sign a contract with Bayern, and wanted Real Madrid instead because Cristiano Ronaldo played there. I convinced him that he had to be the number one striker at a big club."
He added:
"At Madrid, he would have prevailed over Karim Benzema at some point, but I couldn’t allow him to move to a club as a number two given the status he already had at that time. I emphasised this in all discussions, whether it was with Madrid, Arsenal or Manchester City."
Although the move never materialized, Lewandowski has been vocal about his appreciation of Cristiano Ronaldo over the years. The Pole recently lauded Ronaldo for his hunger to win and unparalleled mentality.