Robert Lewandowski aka Lewy, whose metamorphosis this season has been able to tame the dominance of the “gods” of soccer, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
By
KELVIN HIANUSA
·6 minutes read
CHRISTOF STACHE/POOL VIA REUTERS
Bayern Munich v Fortuna Dusseldorf - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - May 30, 2020 Bayern Munich\'s Robert Lewandowski celebrates scoring their fourth goal, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
The skinny little boy from Poland has now transformed into the most feared frontline soccer player on mainland Europe. He\'s Robert Lewandowski aka Lewy, whose metamorphosis this season has been able to tame the dominance of the “gods” of soccer, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The night after the Champions League final, Lewy posted a photo on his social media account. The frontline player of Bayern Munich is lying intimately on the mattress with the "Big Ears" trophy. "Waking up from sleep like this [with a trophy]," he wrote.
He was so happy that he didn\'t want to let go of his first Champions League trophy. After all, becoming the “king” of Europe was his dream for a long time. The dream finally came true after thousands of days of grueling training. "All my hard work has paid off so far. This [achievement] will be written in a history book," he said after the final, which was followed by tears, quoted from Bavarian Soccer.
I do not like to praise individual performance, but the fact is he is a scoring machine and a very important player for us.
Lewy seemed to have the special privilege to bring the Champions League trophy to his room when other players could only take pictures in the dressing room and on the field. The trophy cannot be taken home. However, if it could, no other player would be more entitled than him. After all, he is the main key to Bayern\'s success this season. He became the field translator of coach Hans-Dieter Flick\'s explosive attacking strategy.
Flick may claim that Bayern performances are rooted in collectivity, not individuals. However, he could not fool himself that he was so dependent on Lewy\'s individual abilities. Without Lewy, there might not be massive goals and a sweeping victory by "Die Roten". The statistics prove it. In the Champions League, he scored 15 goals and 5 assists in 10 games. His record alone almost equaled half of the team\'s achievements.
The role of the front player can be said to be irreplaceable. "I do not like to praise individual performance, but the fact is he is a scoring machine and a very important player for us," said Flick, who is known to be very cool.
Taming the ‘gods’
REUTERS / MICHAEL DALDER
Robert Lewandowski scored the first goal for Bayern.
On 21 Aug., Lewy turned 32 years old. At his age, which is no longer considered young in soccer, he indeed recorded the best performance throughout his career with 56 goals and 9 assists in the three competitions that Bayern won, namely the Champions League, Bundesliga and DFB Pokal.
His skilled play had unwittingly broken in into the “area of the gods” that had been occupied by Messi and Ronaldo. This season, Lewy has performed better than the two players that are competing for the status of greatest of all time or GOAT. Messi, who is often called the messiah or savior, is helpless when dealing directly with Lewy. In the quarter-final match between Barcelona vs Bayern, Messi came home embarrassed after his team was slaughtered, 2-8.
This match was not a one-on-one duel. However, like a war, Messi and Lewy are commanders and fighters on their respective sides. Both of them as the best players have the greatest moral burden. When their team got defeated, the commander also surrendered.
"For me, he is not only the best striker, but also the best player in the world today. He deserves the title as the best through what he produces," German national team living legend, Lothar Matthaus, told Goal.
Lewy is a complete package of modern era soccer player. Everything a frontline attacking predator needs is found in him, from anticipation, reaction, positioning to execution. His two legs are both skilled, although the right one is more dominant. His head is also a secret weapon. His body stands 1.84 meters high with muscular muscles. He is able to run fast above the average player his size. In short, he is like a fox capable of sensing opportunities, his body as strong as a bison and his run as constant as a deer.
Lewy’s Metamorphosis
Lewy\'s physical excellence stems from the combination of the athlete\'s genes. His father, Krzysztof, was a national judo athlete, while his mother, Iwona, was a professional volleyball player. He has the genes to become an athlete of any kind.
Even so, the genes are not in line with his childhood story. When he was 8 years old, he was just a short and skinny boy at the Varsovia Warszawa soccer academy. His then trainer, Krzysztof Sikorski, even told Lewy to eat meat sandwiches every day.
FEDERICO GAMBARINI/POOL VIA REUTERS
Borussia Dortmund v Bayern Munich - Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Germany - May 26, 2020 Bayern Munich\'s Robert Lewandowski talks to Borussia Dortmund\'s Mario Gotze after the match, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
When he was 16 years old, he was recruited by the first professional club, Legia Warszawa II. However, three months of injury and too thin physique made the coaching team throw him away. "At that time, I had two options. Stop playing and focus on something else to move on with life or keep playing with a harder training. I chose the second path. I want to make them regret it,” said Lewy.
In the same year, his father died. This meant that he had to work harder to become a professional player so he could support his mother and sister in the future. Two bad things in a year actually made him mentally stronger than most teenagers.
Entering Polish third tier club Znicz Pruszkow, Lewy began to show his talents. He helped his team got promoted to the second tier. Lech Poznan, Poland\'s major team, saw his talent. From there it all starts, the rest is history. Lewy then moved to Borussia Dortmund in 2010. He learned a lot from the brilliant coach Juergen Klopp. Until finally he moved to Bayern, four years later.
He is the most professional player I have ever met.
According to former Bayern coach, Josep Guardiola, Lewy\'s current greatness stems from his hard work and discipline. "He is the most professional player I have ever met. In his head, he thinks about the right food, sleep and training: 24 hours a day,” he said.
Lewy seemed to have completed his metamorphosis perfectly. He is like a butterfly going through a long refinement process from egg to caterpillar to cocoon. Now, the butterfly can fly at the highest point, above the others.
