Robert Lewandowski, who is willing to change, is back in Munich after his summer vacation, but the fuss about the world footballer continues. Bayern icon Lothar Matthäus intervenes – and recognizes unfair treatment of the striker. It’s about Liverpool, Juve and duplicity.
For Lothar Matthäus, the transfer behavior of his ex-club FC Bayern Munich with Robert Lewandowski and Matthijs de Ligt has a bad aftertaste. In his view, world footballer Lewandowski in particular is not treated fairly. “Attracting other players to Munich under similar conditions is fine, obviously not fulfilling your own wishes. I think that’s a shame,” said the German record international in his Sky column.
Lewandowski, who returned to Munich on Monday and appeared for medical examinations on Tuesday, has submitted his desire to move to FC Barcelona to the Bayern bosses for weeks, but they have so far categorically rejected a transfer. Like Lewandowski, the Dutch national player de Ligt is still contractually bound to his club Juventus Turin, but wants to move to Munich early. Bayern’s sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic confirmed talks with Juve about signing the defender for the first time on Monday. Newcomer Sadio Mané was also still under contract with Liverpool FC, but wanted to go to Bayern and was allowed to leave.
“Bayern gratefully accepted that both Mané and now de Ligt have at least made it known internally to their club that they want to go to Bayern and that the clubs may find a solution,” said Matthäus. “This usually speeds up a transfer because most clubs then try to get a reasonable fee for the player who wants to leave.” From this point of view he sees an unfair treatment of Lewandowski. “FC Bayern will not let an extremely well-deserved player change here for a reasonable transfer fee of around 40 million,” said Matthäus.
Many mistakes were made on both sides in the Lewandowski case, both internally and in external communication. “That’s why I wish for the club and also for this player, whom I appreciate beyond measure and of whom I’m an incredibly big fan, that all parties find a solution that they can live with in the end,” said Matthäus.
