"Zero understanding": Salihamidzic and his anger at Lewandowski

Robert Lewandowski is no longer part of FC Bayern, but the exchange posse around the striker will certainly have to be worked out. Lewandowski’s behavior left its mark on sports director Salihamidzic.

According to his own statements, Robert Lewandowski is “very happy”; after a month-long transfer posse, the striker was allowed to leave FC Bayern Munich for FC Barcelona after eight years. When the change finally happened last weekend, they assured each other of mutual respect – although the Polish striker in particular had found increasingly harsh words for his former club. “These eight years were special and you don’t forget that. I had a great time in Munich,” enthused Lewandowski after the German record champions finally gave him the go-ahead.

Bayern’s sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic also said goodbye to his former striker with warm words: “He’ll come back after the trip to the US, then we’ll have a coffee. We wish him every success.” But in an interview conducted in mid-June, Salihamidzic revealed to the “Zeit” magazine what the Pole’s offensive change rage had triggered in him: He had no understanding for it, “really zero point zero – and not just because I had all my contracts as a player, of course,” said Salihamidzic. The Bayern boss himself would have dealt with the situation differently: “As a player, I would have clarified that internally and for myself and fulfilled my contract.”

Lewandowski had repeatedly announced full-bodied and offensive that his story – regardless of one until June 30, 2023 – was “over at FC Bayern”.

Salihamidzic admitted mistakes in the contract negotiations with David Alaba, who switched to Real Madrid on a free transfer last year. The chief of defense was “offered a lot of money”. But “from today’s perspective, it might not have been necessary to set a deadline for a player as deserving as David was,” said Salihamidzic. After the deadline had passed, the FC Bayern board had withdrawn its last offer to extend the contract, and Alaba won the Champions League with Real Madrid this year.