PlayBeautiful

The Lewandowski Saga: Who Is To Blame?

In 2010, a fresh-faced Robert Lewandowski couldn’t contain his excitement upon joining Borussia Dortmund.

“I don’t care in which position I play. My primary goal is to win a place in the team. I am 21 and willing to learn a lot. I will play where the coach plays me and where I can help the team the most.”

Three years later, the tone of his words dramatically changed.

“We are acting normally, and Borussia’s management is not. That they keep me is not fair.”

Lewandowski to Bayern Munich was always anticipated and the news does not come as a surprise. However, the official confirmation made the inevitable a reality. The man got his wish.


A decision that cannot be changed anymore not only affects Lewandowski, but also the two clubs involved. The announcement of the move has stirred a heated debate - pinches of opinion mixed with heavy doses of the blame game. Should one individual entity be carrying all the blame?

People will be quick to point fingers at Lewandowski. After all, it was his decision to leave and it looks like he took the easy way out. Mario Götze was the first to jump ship, so Lewandowski’s choice left a bitter after-taste. It was clearly void of any emotional attachments. Is there any reason why he didn’t choose another club outside of Germany? He wanted to take the next step in his career. There is no stronger team than Bayern at the moment who guarantees a winning combination of fame, fortune, and titles. Perhaps, there is also the attraction of wanting to work with Pep Guardiola. If Bayern’s interest in Lewandowski didn’t present itself, he may have stayed with Dortmund instead of moving abroad. Of course this is an assumption, but it shows how highly he thinks of Bayern Munich compared to other clubs. At the end of the day, he is a professional footballer doing his job. The life of a footballer is to maximize the window of opportunity for his playing career. Though he has taken the forbidden path, he chose what made him happy. No one compelled him to do so otherwise. Ultimately, it is only Robert Lewandowski who can answer this question regarding his present circumstances. “The past is a ghost, the future a dream. All we ever have is now.” - Bill Cosby



As if the Bavarian giants weren’t envied enough, they got even more flack. Landing the signature of Europe’s hottest prospect added one more jewel to their Crown of Domination. Some choice words to describe Bayern Munich on social media were “greedy” or “evil.” They snatched away the prized possession from the fingertips of their toughest rival. Once again. From a moral standpoint, it’s disrespectful to other clubs in the league if they continuously tempt their top talent. This gives critics the ammunition to say the Bundesliga is a boring, one-league team. In the long run, this could potentially end up hurting Bayern. If there are no direct challengers for the league title, Bayern can’t play to their full potential . The quality of the team’s playing abilities may drop. As a result, this affects their presence in European competitions. However, all of these points stray away from one essential question. How would you react if your club was in the same position? Would you turn away one of the best strikers in the game today if he was waiting at your club’s doorstep? Bayern didn’t spend a single cent for the initial acquisition of Lewandowski. Technically, getting a player for free does not mean “buying out” competition.  Any club would be foolish not to take up this deal considering it’s a steal. Any person saying they would send Lewandowski back home isn’t being truthful either. Football is still the beautiful game, but modern times have evolved it into a business. Bayern are doing exactly what a good business should be doing by implementing cost efficiency and smart planning. For the 2012-13 season, Bayern’s record-breaking turnover in 113 years reinforced their impressive financial stability (link here). If this is considered to be “evil”, then all businesses are evil. Football is a unique business because it utilizes both emotional investment and strategy. The best strategy is the foundation for success, which Bayern are thriving on. “The best revenge is massive success.” - Frank Sinatra



“Either we get offered a huge amount of money fairly soon or Robert will stay with us until 2014 and score another 20 goals for us,” declared Hans-Joachim Watzke, Dortmund’s CEO. If Lewandowski was determined to join Bayern, then Dortmund were relentless to keep him a little longer. Was it Die Borussen’s mistake not to sell Lewandowski last summer when they had the chance? They could have sold him to a foreign club instead of seeing out his contract. Or so they say. Lewandowski’s strong desire to join Bayern Munich was very clear from the beginning. Whether Chelsea, Real Madrid, or Manchester City made an enticing offer wouldn’t have mattered. His eyes were on Bayern and only Bayern. If Lewandowski and his agent didn’t want to talk to other clubs, there was nothing Dortmund could do about it. So why exactly would Dortmund keep an unhappy striker? It was a risk to keep him, but it would have been an even bigger risk to let him go. Despite the number 9 publicly admitting his dismay, he hasn’t let it affect his performance. He still remains BVB’s biggest asset and will try to push the club to Champions League glory. Allowing another forward to take Lewandowski’s role could potentially disrupt team chemistry. Dortmund preparing for Lewandowski’s departure gives them ample time to scout a suitable replacement. In that case, UCL revenue will be all the more important.

The key to maximizing revenue is also maintaining a strong brand. As long as Robert Lewandowski wears the badge, he represents BVB’s brand. The more attention the club gets, the more its image will attract new players. The decision to not sell Lewandowski during Winterpause could have been connected to Mario Götze’s exit. Consecutively losing two, big names players is not something Dortmund wants to make a habit of. They want more quality players to come through their doors than leave. After all, one cannot put a price on nurturing young talent. “Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.” - Joshua J. Marine



The Lewandowski saga is over, but it presented gray areas. It’s easy to put the blame on others, but not everything can be looked through one angle. If Lewandowski had a reason to leave, then Bayern had a reason to recruit. Only time will tell if this will have a lasting effect on Dortmund. One thing that won’t ever change? The excitement and entertainment Bundesliga brings every season.

Written by: Goral Patel

Follow me on Twitter: @goralpatel