"I heard that" - Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski says he 'laughed' when he heard the chants of Hala MadridΒ
Barcelona's marquee signing Robert Lewandowski revealed that the actions of some Bayern Munich fans chanting 'Hala Madrid' made him laugh, according to Marca.
The Polish striker spoke to Sport1 after Barcelona's 6-0 win over Mexican team Pumas UNAM in the Joan Gamper Trophy game on August 7.
While acknowledging that his decision to leave Bayern would've hurt a lot of fans, Lewandowski said he needed a diffferent challenge, having spent the last 12 years in Germany.
It should be noted that some Bayern fans started chanting 'Hala Madrid', the go-to phrase for Real Madrid fans all across the globe, as the striker left his last training camp with Bayern last week.
There is a long-standing rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona, two of the biggest clubs in the world. Some disgruntled Bayern fans, unhappy with Lewandowski leaving the club, tried to get a rise out of the player by shouting the popular catchphrase.
Speaking about what he thought of fans shouting pro-Real Madrid slogans as he left Bayern's training camp, Barca's new No.9 told Sport1 (via Marca):
"Yes, I heard that, and I laughed. But there were also some people shouting my name. That was really nice."
"In the last few weeks I have also met some fans in the street who have expressed their understanding for my situation and wished me all the best."
He also explained his decision to sign with the La Liga giants, stating that he had many more offers from other clubs. He added:
"I always wanted to play in LaLiga, that was clear to me. And when Barcelona came knocking on the door this time, they were the only option for me."
"There were other offers, but I wasn't interested."
Lewandowski adds much-needed firepower to Barcelona as they look to take the title away from Real Madrid
Lewandowski had an incredible goalscoring record with the Bundesliga giants. The Poland international scored 344 goals and provided 72 assists in his 375 appearances for Bayern across all competitions.
Barcelona will be hoping that the 32-year-old continues his prolificacy in front of goal in La Liga.
The Blaugrana have been found wanting in the league since the 2018-19 campaign with Real Madrid winning the competition twice in that period, including last season.
Lewandowski, who was signed by the Catalans for Β£42.5 million (as per SkySports) might prove to be a game changer this season.
He was awarded the MVP award in the Joan Gamper game, as he scored one goal and picked up two assists in that game.
With the Catalans providing free tickets for Lewandowski's presentation at Camp Nou, his unveiling set the record for the second-highest attendance in the club's history.
There are high expectations from the striker, who has proven himself in the Bundesliga. The Polish striker holds the record for the second-highest goalscorer of all time with 312 goals in the German league, just behind Gerd Muller, who has 365 goals.
He will be looking to build on the good showing when the club kicks off their La Liga campaign on Saturday, August 13, against Rayo Vallecano at Camp Nou.