"From Barcelona, there is a shorter way to the Golden Ball than from Bayern" - Robert Lewandowski makes incredible Ballon d'Or claim
Robert Lewandowski believes he is more likely to win the Ballon d'Or at Barcelona than he was at Bayern Munich.
Lewandowski made a blockbuster switch to the Camp Nou in the summer following eight incredible seasons at the Bundesliga champions. The Polish striker has made an incredible start to life at the Catalonian giants with 11 goals in his first eight appearances.
Robert Lewandowski has been an unreal signing 🔥 https://t.co/Lkwzwn9qTI
Despite his incredible record at Bayern, he never won football's biggest individual honor. Many believe he should have won it in 2020, when he helped the Bavarians win the Champions League as he scored 55 goals in 48 games that season.
Since 2009, only Barcelona and Real Madrid players have won the Ballon d'Or, with Karim Benzema the strong favorite to win it this year. Luka Modric lifted the award in 2018, while Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi won it a whopping 12 times between them.
When Lewandowski was asked if winning the award was one of the reasons he switched to Barcelona, the legendary Polish international told Przeglad Sportowy (as translated by Barca Universal):
“Maybe Barcelona’s players won it more often, but this trophy does not keep me awake at night. My approach is that from Barca there is a shorter way to the Golden Ball than from Bayern."
Lewandowski: "Winning the Ballon d'Or? I know that Barcelona is the team where the most players have won the Ballon d'Or. I think there is a shorter way to the Ballon d'Or from Barça than from Bayern." https://t.co/Vb7HIASWh0
Robert Lewandowski explains key difference between playing for Barcelona and Bayern Munich
The lethal forward scored an incredible 344 goals in 375 appearances during his time at the Bavarians and won the Bundesliga title in every one of his eight seasons.
But he elected to try a new challenge this summer and is experiencing a brand new league. When asked about the big differences between the Bundesliga and La Liga, Lewandowski explained:
“Bundesliga was definitely more physical. In Spain, many more teams try and want to play football. This is how I see it now, but I do not rule out that the perception will change. We are facing matches with teams that will defend themselves.
“This was the case last weekend against Elche. Seemingly the last team in the table, I scored two goals, but it was really hard for us to play because the opponent was very defensively positioned and moved skillfully on the pitch.”
The prolific forward also talked about his move:
“I feel very comfortable here, not only because of the club I came to but also because of the atmosphere. Colleagues, and staff, all treated me well, and how they did everything for me to fit in here, it all makes me feel very privileged in Barcelona."
Lewandowski: "I didn't expect Barça fans to start singing songs about me at the Camp Nou. It makes me feel like I've been at Barcelona for a long time." https://t.co/FUmNjgRBaB
The Blaugrana were drawn with Lewandowski's old club Bayern in the Champions League and ended up on the losing side with a score of 2-0 when the two sides clashed.