Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski has spoken out about a strange request from the club during his first season there. He said officials asked him to hold back on scoring goals near the end of the 2022-23 La Liga campaign. The reason was to avoid triggering a bonus payment to his old club, Bayern Munich.
The comments came in an interview with Polish journalist Bogdan Rymanowski on YouTube. It happened in late December 2025. Lewandowski did not go into full details at first.
He said he has too much respect for Barcelona and the staff to say everything. But he confirmed the basics.
He explained the club was in a tough spot financially back then. They watched every euro. Reaching a certain number of goals would mean paying Bayern extra money from his transfer deal. Reports say it was about €2.5 million if he hit 25 league goals. He finished with 23.
Lewandowski played the last two games against Mallorca and Celta Vigo. He was on the pitch the full time for both matches. No goals came.
He told the interviewer the request stuck in his head. Even a small doubt was enough. At one point, he hesitated in front of goal. In top football, that tiny bit can change everything.
He made clear it did not bother him much personally. The money saved did not affect his own pay. He understood the club’s position. Players had to give up things sometimes for the team.
This story first surfaced earlier from a book about Lewandowski. Now he has backed it up himself. It shows how bad Barcelona’s money problems were a couple of years ago.
President Joan Laporta pulled all sorts of moves to keep the club going. Signing big names like Lewandowski happened anyway. But costs added up quickly.
Lewandowski moved from Bayern in summer 2022 for around €45 million plus add-ons. He helped win the league right away. Scored plenty overall that year. Just stopped short on the league tally.
Fans reacted strongly online. Some find it hard to believe a club would ask a striker not to score. Others point to the finances. Barcelona sold assets and used levers to register players. Saving on a bonus fits that picture.
Bayern got the base fee. They missed the extra part. No public comment from them on this.
Lewandowski keeps performing now. He has goals this season under new coach Hansi Flick. Barcelona sit top of La Liga as 2025 ends.
The interview covered other topics too. Like his future. The contract runs out soon. Talks about extension might come.
Stories like this highlight pressures at big clubs. On the field, everything looks fine. Behind the scenes, money decisions happen daily.
Lewandowski handled it calmly. No anger shown. Just facts about what went on. Football followers debate if it crosses a line. Asking a player to ease off for cash reasons. Or just practical in hard times.
No sign it hurt team results. The title was already won by then. Clubs face salary limits in Spain. Barcelona still works to get back full freedom.
Lewandowski seems fine with how it went. He sacrificed a bit. The club saved some. Life moved on.
This admission adds to tales from that era. Tough choices were made to stay competitive. As the season goes on, focus stays on play. But old stories pop up now and then.
Lewandowski continues as the key man up front. Hesitation is long gone, it seems. Goals flow again.
