Bayern Munich star, Robert Lewandowski is undoubtedly the best striker in Europe right now, and the Poland international isn’t displaying complacency in anyway even after helping his German club to a historic treble last season, and winning the FIFA Best player due to his superb form last term.
Well…the 32-year-old looks fired up for more honours this season; having bagged 31 goals so far in all competitions.
While the striker continue to impress, let’s have a look at the agents responsible for his unstoppable form over the last decade.
Discipline, humbleness & workaholism
It’s not easy to remain at the top for a long period of time in the fierce competition of the environment of European football. Of course this only down to sheer discipline both in work and personal life.
Working under Jurgen Klopp at Borussia Dortmund early on in his career has helped Lewandowski remain humble with his feet firmly on the ground. Being a striker does not make him look for his goals only. Over the years Robert Lewandowski has helped his teammates notch up important goals with the help of his vision and an eye for the important assists.
In the words of the man himself:
“My idol was Thierry Henry. He was amazing – it wasn’t just how he scored the goals but what he did for the team.”
Influenced by the great Pep Guardiola
The Polish hitman broke many hearts when he left Borussia Dortmund to sign for the mighty Bayern, when he signed a pre-contractual agreement , ultimately joining the Bavarians in the 2014-15 season.
At the time the transfer was dubbed the ‘worst-kept secret’ and Borussia Dortmund was heavily criticized by its own fans for letting go of their prized asset for free.
But this was an immense opportunity for Lewandowski to work with Pep Guardiola and other gigantic personalities at Bayern.
At Dortmund, under Klopp, Lewandowski learned how to function as a team in a unique tactical set up based on movement, pace, and unrelenting pressing.
Under Pep Guardiola he learned how to operate fluently amongst the very best. The glittering life of Munich compared to a more laid back one in Dortmund did not make the player forget the basics of remaining humble and down to earth.
“He is one of the most professional footballers I have ever worked with. He eats, sleeps, and trains for his job. He’s never injured because he focuses so much on the right diet and proper preparation,” Pep Guardiola, former Bayern coach.
Family of athletes
The amazing physical attributes of Robert Lewandowski can be attributed to the sporting genes that exist in his family. His father Krzysztof was a Polish Judo champion and also played in the Polish football second division.
His mother Iwona and his older sister Milena played professional volleyball in Poland. These impressive sporting culture and discipline within the family imbibed the basic traits of sound physical and mental conditioning within a young Lewandowski’s development programe as a player which set him apart from a lot of fellow professionals as far as success is concerned.
Individual brilliance of the player
Robert Lewandowski is easily the best-imported player in Bundesliga history eclipsing Peruvian Claudio Pizarro’s record in March 2019.
Thierry Henry and Roberto Baggio are his role models and certainly has matched these two legends shoulder to shoulder with his legendary performances at Bayern.
Lewandowski’s prime asset even at 32 years of age, and his bullish physique gives him a powerful presence in the middle. His positional sense, dribbling ability, and set-piece skills make him one of the finest all-round strikers in the modern generation.
People talk about Lionel Messi and Ronaldo all the time, but Robert Lewandowski has created his own legacy to be considered the very best of the last decade.
His wife’s influence in cutting down injuries
Anna Lewandowska is a well known sports nutritionist in Poland. Lewandowski married Anna Stachurska, a karate World Cup bronze medalist, in 2013. Mrs. Lewandowska is a well-known sports nutritionist who has helped his husband remain consistently fit and competitive even ten years after his debut for Borussia Dortmund.
The fitness regime that she has created along with a fat-free diet can be considered as one of the primary reasons why the Polish record goalscorer is the fittest footballer on the planet alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.
In an interview with Talksport, former Dortmund teammate Nuri Sahin said: “Lewy has the most incredible body, it’s just pure muscles. It stuns the other players in the changing room.”
