Rated as one of the world’s elite strikers, Robert Lewandowski is a goalscoring machine. The Bayern Munich star knows no limits in the final third, having hit the 40-goal mark in the last five seasons in a row.
The 31-year-old’s professionalism is perhaps one of his most defining traits. Not only does he train rigorously hard for the next big challenge, but he diets well and takes excellent care of his body. It’s made him one of the fittest players around.
Aside from being a scoring machine, however, what else is there to know about the Pole?
He almost ended up in the Premier League
Imagine if Robert Lewandowski never played in the Bundesliga? The mere idea of him playing anywhere else seems almost unthinkable. Had it not been for a volcanic ash cloud in Poland, however, that may have been the case.
After impressing for Lech Poznan in Poland’s top-flight division, Lewandowski became of interest to several European clubs in 2010. Among them were Borussia Dortmund and Blackburn Rovers.
The latter of the two had stolen a march on signing the young Pole, having arranged a flight to England to seal a deal. Then-Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce even met Lewy in Poland. All seemed good to go until fate intervened.
Just as Lewandowski prepared to head to England, a volcanic ash cloud in Poland halted his flight. Therefore, Dortmund seized their window of opportunity to pinch him.
“He was due to fly to the UK, but all flights were cancelled due to that volcanic ash cloud,” Blackburn’s head of recruitment, Martyn Glover, told Sky
Rovers haven’t played in the Premier League since 2012.
He is a late bloomer
One of the most rarely mentioned things about Robert Lewandowski is the early setbacks suffered early in his career. At one point, the player dream almost ended.
After impressing in a Polish youth academy called MKS Varsovia Warsaw for several years, a 16-year-old Lewandowski joined Legia Warsaw in 2005. This was supposed to be his big break. A year later, however, the club released him.
The Legionaries never granted Lewy even one first-team appearance, deeming him too short and skinny for football. An unfortunate injury, later on, was the final blow. Therefore, the coaching staff decided his playing days were over.
Third-tier side Znicz Pruszkow offered the player an unexpected lifeline. Despite some initial doubts, Lewandowski revived his career at the club. He finished as top-scorer in the third and second divisions, paving the way for a big move to Lech Poznan in the Polish first division in 2008.
He’s very brilliant and intelligent
Conventional knowledge dictates intelligence and football don’t go hand in hand. It turns out, though, couldn’t be further from the truth.
We’ve seen many intelligent footballers over the years, even if fans may not have realised it. Frank Lampard, for example, took an IQ test with Mensa in 2009 and scored one of the highest marks ever. He even has a master’s degree in Latin.
And Robert Lewandowski is one of those unique footballers in this category.
The striker completed a degree in Physical Education at the Warsaw School of Education in Sport in 2017, less than 24 hours after helping Poland qualify for the 2018 World Cup tournament.
He wrote a thesis based on his own career entitled: ‘RL9. Path To Glory’. This won him the highest mark possible, with professor Marek Rybinski branding his answers ‘excellent’.
Why is he called “Robert”
Robert isn’t a typical Polish name.
Convinced his son would become a famous footballer, however, Lewandowski’s father, Krzysztof, named him ‘Robert’ so foreigners could pronounce his name.
“My husband knew we would raise a footballer,” said his mother, Iwona.
“That’s why he is Robert. Travelling through Europe, Krzysztof witnessed how important it would be to have an internationally recognisable name.”
His wife is the secret to his fitness
Robert Lewandowski has become renown in Germany for his approach to nutrition and fitness. This led his former Borussia Dortmund teammates to nickname him as ‘The Body’. Even Pep Guardiola was impressed at Bayern Munich.
“In his head, he thinks about the right food, sleep and training: 24 hours a day. He is always there, never injured, because he focuses on these things.
“He always knows what is important to be in the best condition. But I was always very, very pleased with him, from the first moment.”
And it turns out the player’s wife, Anna, has played a key part in this aspect. Aside from winning a bronze medal at the 2009 Karate World Cup, she has a degree in Physical Education.
As a health, nutrition and fitness expert, Anna has written books and covered DVDs on these topics. And Robert himself has credited her for his own fitness.
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