Robert Lewandowski: 'We are in good form'
He has goals in his blood. He has more than 50 for FC Barcelona in a season and a half and he has started 2024 like a house on fire. Robert Lewandowski is convinced that the team still has time to achieve great things this season as he casts his eye over his own form, the upcoming Champions League with Napoli and the blaugranes chances in La Liga in an interview with the Club's official media.
Hello, Robert. How are you?
"Fine, all fine, thanks.”
You have been at Barça for a season and half and you have scored more than 50 goals, surpassing the likes of David Villa and Thierry Henry. What do you make of your first 20 months as a Barça player?
"I have been at Barça for a year and a half, and I feel good. I have won things and I have scored a lot of goals. Right now, me included, we have to score more goals and win more matches. We are at a point where we could not just win but also play better. Now we have important games coming up and let’s hope the wins keep coming."
On a personal level, you seem to have settled into the city well. Is that right?
"The city is very nice and the people too. It’s not just me who is happy but my family too. My kids also. Everything about the city is really good. However, for me, the most important thing is what happens on the field. Really, I can’t do everything I would like but for me the out on the field is the most important thing. Now I am focused on football, not things in the city and things outside of the club. In my head football and my family come first and the rest later."
Let's talk football. You have scored in the last five matches and you are one of the topscorers in 2024. Are we seeing the best of Robert Lewandowski at Barça?
“I always want to play my best football. The other day I didn’t score against Getafe but I played really well but without scoring. For me, as a striker, it’s important to have performance with goals and a win. Even though in the end how we do is down to the team and if we win. The other day we took three points, and we played well. But as a striker I always want to score and help the team to win.”
Some key games are coming up such as the trip to Athletic Club. How is the mood?
“There are important games coming up. First in Bilbao and then at home to Mallorca and later the Champions League. We are at a point where winning can be really important for us as a team to gain confidence and move forward. We are at a good point. We have the whole week to work in training and prepare for the upcoming games. I think some important players are going to come back from injury so we can have important, experienced players on the bench, not just youngsters. It’s important for the team and I am sure that if we train well and we are going to play better than previously. For everyone, it is important to win by two, three or four goals like we did against Getafe.”
Less than two weeks to go for the return of the Champions League. Did you feel that you could have got a better result in Italy? How do you see the return leg?
"We played really well against Napoli. In the first 30 minutes we did really well. We needed that second goal but now we have the home leg. If we play from the start like we did in Naples, then I think we can win and score more goals. What we want is to be in the next round. Napoli are a dangerous team with good players, but we want to win this game and even though there is still time before the match, we want to win the ones up until then also."
Let's move on to La Liga. How difficult would you say that it will be to win it?
"It depends on who we are playing against....no, no, no, against who. If not, how we play. We have a lot of players with great potential and a lot of quality. We have to know how we can play, not only to win but also to have chances. Against Getafe, for example, after 5 or 7 minutes we saw that if we took a stop forward, we would have more chances. We have to know how to adapt during the game to make it easier to create chances. If we have to play more simply, then we should do it. We need to find solutions against our opponents. Against Getafe we played in a simpler way but we were more effective."
It's been a month since Xavi announced he is to leave. What has changed in the team?
"Xavi will be our coach until the end of the season and for us that is very important to be focussed to do our job. I understand that for Xavi it has been a difficult time, and it has been an emotional one. He is a former FC Barcelona player and being the Barça coach is very tough for Xavi because he is an emotional guy too. For him, FC Barcelona is more than a Club. I understand that for his family it can’t be easy too. We have to play together, move in the same direction and win matches."
To round off - apart from the demanding games for Barça, for you there is an important international break coming up with a play off for the European Championships. How important is that for you?
"For us, the games are all in. We want to win the first game and get to the final, win that and reach Euro 2024. They are really important games for us and we are ready for them. We want to be there in Germany."