Robert Lewandowski: What Nobody Sees Behind a World-Class Striker

I was the child from Poland.

In my head, always I have big dreams.

I remember when I scored five goals in nine minutes, but even after the game, I didn't know what I did.

When I joined Barcelona, I saw that so many young players, they don't like this behavior.

I think what I miss a lot, that just conversation with my father.

He died before my first game.

When I think about myself, everything what I achieve, I can be proud of myself.

Never fear a storm.

Be ready to adapt.

The skill is staying true to ourselves.

Robert, welcome to High Performance.

Hello.

So, over a thousand matches, almost 800 goals, 20 years as a professional football player.

Do you think your success is more mental or more physical?

I have to say that both.

Which is more important?

Mentally, I can say that it's 70% of it.

What general, what you need to be on the top.

You know, not for one, two or three years, but many years.

Physically as well.

Because the football is changing.

I think every five years that the football change a lot.

What I see since I am a football player.

And I think if you compare football now and the football five years ago, or even ten years ago, it's different.

It's completely different.

Not only like the tactical things, what you have to do on the pitch, but also off the pitch.

You know, when I see now the new generation that the young talent players that I'm working out every day with 70 years old players, 80 years old players, you know, and I'm 37.

Next year, I'm going to be 38 years old guy, you know, as a football.

But I see the huge difference.

And I have to say on the beginning, for me, when I joined to Barcelona, you know, from Germany, from Bayern Munich, that the club is on every level like perfectly.

Also the mentality is different, you know, because we had more experienced players, more tough, you know.

And when I joined to Barcelona, I saw that so many young players, and I started to be more tough for them.

And then I started to see, they don't like, you know, this kind of like, not only conversation, but also behavior.

Even that the club tell me, on the beginning, try to be, you know, more serious guys, because we need this in this club, we need that the young players learn something, not only on the pitch, but off the pitch as well.

You know, what you are doing on the gym, how important it is to working hard every day.

And after a few months, I saw it that the young players doesn't like, you know, this behavior.

And who asked you to come in and be this bad teacher?

Before I joined to Barcelona, when I was talking with the people from Barcelona, you know, they tell me, yeah, we need someone like you, that mentality, physically, also is very strong and show them that to be on the top is not only one, two or three seasons, but also what you're doing off the pitch is very important.

So I know that I can do this. But later, when I meet the people, when I show it, the culture is different than Germany, I start to learn from them also.

Like, you know, to empathy, everything, what is around the football.

And it helps me a lot as well.

Yeah. So you were lacking a bit of empathy, a bit of personal understanding.

Yeah. Because I think that I was in different world, different generation.

Because when I started to be the football players, I'm starting to play with the players that were 35 years old.

So I was 18, you know, and now I am 37 and they have like 60, 70 years old.

So it's like almost 40 years difference, you know.

So for me that if someone talked to me and said, hey, come on, you have to push, push more, harder, you know, that for me, okay, I'm going to do. And now, no, you have to talk, you have to explain.

This is so interesting. It's completely different.

Because you learned football from people 20 years older than you.

Yeah. Someone 20 years older than you is now nearly 60.

So you still have in you the mentality of a footballer from 60 years ago.

And it's so interesting.

You know, I'm older than the father of the players.

Yeah.

I'm older than the father of Lamine, for example, you know.

That is like, for me also, it's like, hey, come on.

I have to learn from them as well.

Yeah.

Not only that they should learn from me, but I'm starting to think, hey, I can learn from them as well, many things.

Like what?

So, you know, that when I, when I starting to see that they understand a lot, football, you know, I think that many years ago was in that age, that the players from Barcelona are now.

I think that the players doesn't understand football so much, they understand them, you know, now.

Because probably we didn't have internet, we didn't have the social media, and we didn't have so many programs that we can, that we can speak about the football, what's going on, even mentality, physically, psychology as well.

You know, now you have so many things that you can learn.

And that time, I think that the young players, they didn't want asking sometimes.

Because they're afraid.

Because of the generation, you know.

And now they're open.

They know the words, you know.

They know what they want as well.

I think that many years ago, the people doesn't know exactly what they can do, what they want to do in their life, not only in the football.

And now it's a huge difference.

Is this a healthier culture now in football,

than it was when you were first coming through, which was a much harder time?

I don't know.

Because, from one side, if you want to stay on the top for many years, 10, 15, like Cristiano, Leo Messi, you know, you have to be strong mentality.

If you are weak mentality for the long term, I think that it's going to be difficult to stay on the top.

Especially now, not only because of the money that you have in football,

in the age of 18, 19 or 20 years old.

You know, many years ago, I had to work in a few years to get bigger money.

Now it's, I think, much more easier.

But also, everything that you have in the social media, internet, that one day you are here, and the next day you are on the ground.

So, like, this is also it that you have emotionally, every day, so many, you know, so many jump on, jump back, makes you also, I think, a little bit more weak.

What do you think that you, Ronaldo, Messi, have got in your mentality that has made the difference?

What is the thing that you've tapped into, that they've tapped into?

I think that we had to work much more longer to achieve our goals, to achieve what we want.

And from one side, maybe it was a little bit easier for us because we didn't have social media.

Because I think social media is a tough subject, you know.

Because if you read everything, or if you listen everything about you, yourself, your club every day, there's so many information that in one day that can be, that can broke you, you know.

And that time we started, we know how it looks, words, without the social media, and now how it looks with social media, or with television, everything was going around.

And sometimes, for myself, I can stay on the side, if it's something too much.

And the new generation, maybe they don't know how, because they don't know the words without.

And if this is good for them, I don't know yet.

Maybe if you're waiting 10 years, then we can speak about this.

But I think that for the new generation, it will be tough staying on the top level for a long time.

So when you think back to you now at 37 playing, what are the characteristics you learned at 17, when you first started, that are still present?

You know, when I was a guy, very young guy, 70 years old,

I think that I had the dream, for sure.

But I didn't know what does it mean exactly, because I, of course, I have the dream to play on the big stadium, playing the big clubs.

And I know that I have to work very hard.

But okay, I am from Poland.

So I didn't have the role model before me that I could, okay, maybe I want to go that direction that my previous player from Poland.

So everything what I did or still what I'm doing is like I'm trying, I'm checking.

And sometimes if I see the wall, you know, I know that, okay, it's the wall, but it's not for me that I cannot jump on this or crash the wall.

Because, okay, maybe if I see the wall and I'm stepping back, I will be not in the same place that I am now.

I'm always trying, if I see the wall, okay, I crash them, I'm jumping on, and I'm going forward, you know.

And that was sometimes very, very tough for me, because I didn't know what is behind the wall.

But I was trying, and I think that that helped me a lot.

And where did that come from, that willingness to jump the wall?

I don't know exactly, but maybe I was the child from Poland, I was born in Warsaw, but I grew up in a small city.

So in my head always I have big dreams, you know, but I want to show everyone that it doesn't matter where I come from you, that you can achieve your goals, you know.

And I told myself when I was young, so long I'm going to play football, I want to do everything for, not for 100%, but everything that I can show my best performance, my best skills.

Because, not only because of this, because I love this sport, I have passion, but I knew that some days I'm going to miss this.

When I finish my career, you know.

It's only one part of my life.

And one side of me is already, like, ready for the second part of my life, but one part says to me, so long you can do this on a good level, try to do this.

So, you know, I'm not afraid to finish my career, because I'm starting to prepare for to finish my career when I was 27, 20 years old.

Already I'm starting to prepare things that I can do after the football career, because I know that football is a very important part of my life.

But football is not all my life, especially now.

You know, when I was young I didn't think about this, because I had in my head only football, football, football.

But now, when I know that I'm very close to finishing my career, I don't know, one, two, three years, maybe four, I don't know.

But I don't have pressure, you know.

If one day I feel my body, I feel that something in my head is changing, and say, I think you start to think about finishing your career, then I will be ready for this.

So right now, is the fire inside you as strong as the fire that was inside that young boy?

You know, I lost my father when I was 16 years old.

And that was very tough for me, you know.

I didn't ready to be a man, you know.

And one day, in one minute, I had to be the man in my family and in my life, you know.

And nobody tell me how to be the man, you know.

I have to try.

And I think all of my life, it depends on trying, of don't be afraid to do something.

Even that I don't have answer for my question, because that time I had so many questions in my head.

Not only about the football, but about the life, how it looks like.

And I couldn't ask my father, you know.

And it's always different between the connection between son and father and between son and mother.

Even the mother is, you know, she's trying to do everything, the best that she can.

And I appreciate it.

But always, you know, some subject that you want to talk with some man.

And I didn't have a person who can tell me, explain what I can expect in my life, in football, in club, in training session, on everything.

So, what I said, that was for me very, very tough.

If there was one thing that you would have wanted a father to have told you at 16, what do you wish you would have known?

You know, now I am the father, of course.

I don't have a son, but I have two daughters.

But sometimes it's difficult to say one advice, you know, to a young boy.

More important is that you can be with your son, seeing what he's doing.

And sometimes, sometimes give even small advice or just talk with him.

I think what I miss a lot is just conversation with my father.

Not about some important subject, of course, yes.

But just talk.

Because after that, I hear that my father is dead.

I close for the words, I close for the people, you know.

I don't know why, because I was young.

I was not enough ready for this.

I wasn't enough.

You closed up emotionally.

Yeah, emotionally.

Yeah, for sure.

And especially when I, when I went to Germany, you know, that the people in Germany, they, you know, they are more also, they are very close because they are focused on work and what they have at home.

So many, I was 12 years in Germany, so I learned from them a lot as well.

And I think that the first step that I came to Barcelona and I saw the people, the culture, even the first days that Gavi came to me and hugged me, that was for me, wow, it's impossible that the players in the dressing will hug me.

So, you know, so with empathy, with everything.

And I'm starting to think, wow, it's amazing.

So I'm starting to learn from them as well.

One thing that we've realized, and we've had hundreds of conversations on high performance, many of them with people who, like you, had a trauma at a young age.

And I think often we look at those traumas as things that are bad for us.

But just because they're hard for us, it doesn't always mean that they're actually bad for us.

And I wonder whether one of the reasons why you're still sitting here today with a fire inside you is because you lost your father, is because you have the memory of him looking at you, and it's on the documentary about your life, when he looks at you in front of the Christmas tree and goes, one day you'll be the best striker in Europe, one day you will play in Italy, one day people will know your name.

I wonder whether you have carried that with you in your career.

Yeah, I have to say that every time when I go out on the pitch, you know, that I know that my father see me on the first, you know, the best place in the stadium and he supports me a lot because he helped me, he supports me a lot when I'm starting to train with the first professional team, I mean, like, even that was the third league, but the first professional team, but he died before my first game, you know.

So I know that every first goals in every new team or in the national team, that will be for him, you know, and every goals in the first team, Lech Post and the national team, then Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich and Barcelona, that always was for him, you know.

And even I feel till now his support, you know.

I know that sometimes if someone doesn't lose someone, you know, from the family, that is difficult what I want to try to say or explain, but I feel that he's around me, he helped me a lot,

because he was also the athlete, you know.

He was like the judo guy, you know, he helped me a lot with judo.

I was training with him so many times at home to judo, but he didn't want that I'm going to go with this direction to train judo, because he knew that it's so tough and it's not, you know, it's like you have only the Olympic, you know, the time for judo, but during these four years you have competition, but not so important for the people.

So he knew that for me that the different sport will be much more better.

But I have so many opportunities to...

My mother was a volleyball player, my sister as well.

Even my wife was karate, you know.

But I have to say that I think the football chose me.

Because when I was three years old or four years old, I saw the pictures that already had the football ball in my hand.

And I did so many different sports.

Even I was running for one kilometer, one half kilometers.

I won every, you know, the tournament.

But what I want to say, I was so nervous before, that I knew that I cannot do this.

But only football gives me like the pure happiness.

Without stress, without nothing.

And I think because of this also that I know that the football is going to be what I want to do.

Your father sounds an amazing man.

What are the characteristics or the qualities that you see in you on a football field that remind you of him?

You know, after so many years, of course, you want to remember just the good things.

You know, when I'm thinking about my father, he's like the real man.

You know, he was big, he was very strong.

Even I remember when he had also a lot of respect of friends, of people.

Even in the place where we are living was very dangerous, you know.

And when I met some people from them and he knew that I'm a son of my father, they already started, oh, okay, you have our respect and we protect you.

Don't worry, nothing happens.

So that's everything what this kind of things when I heard that means that my father was like, of course, he had the problems like with his life, with his emotion as well.

Because so long he was fit, healthy, he was strong.

But when he got some problems, healthy problems, I saw it that he started to be, you know, not motivated anymore.

You know, he got more weight, you know, he started to drink a lot of beers, alcohol as well.

And I remember him before and after.

So long he was healthy, in my head I still see him like he was running, you know, a lot.

But after he was like more guy who was sitting on the coat or the sofa, drinking beer, you know.

And it's like, I think that he couldn't fix it, his problem mentality or even healthy problems.

And from one side, I was too young to help him because I didn't know how.

I didn't know that he has this kind of problems.

But from another side, you know, it's like he was responsible for this.

You know, many years ago, even I know something was tough to help, you know, this mentality, physically, psychology as well, things to help your family.

Now will be different because I know what does it mean, you know.

I know how hard it is for the people with the small problems.

Because, because we are talking sometimes for the football players, they have expectation, they, that so many people thinking on the, also the players, there are a lot of problems.

Even that so many players doesn't speak about this.

But that's why you have to be very strong.

But how to be strong?

Nobody can tell you, nobody can teach you.

Because you cannot read this in the book.

Because how many players, how many people know that, you know.

You can, you can read a lot of about the psychology, about mentality, but so long you are not in this position, I mean, that not belong to you, it's tough to learn to know it.

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So tell us then, Robert, you've spoken a lot about psychology and mentality, and you've said that 70% of your incredible career has been down to the mental side.

What would you tell us are the most important psychological elements?

You know, in my life, I never listen to people from outside.

I mean, of course, sometimes it's good to listen to people from outside.

But if you listen too much, like, not only bad things, but also good things.

Or for example, I'm starting to see when I even read good things about me,

after the game, one, two, three games.

For the next game, that makes me more weak.

Like, really, of course, nobody wants to read bad things also.

But I mean, and I remember when I scored five goals in nine minutes, you know, and during the game, I was pissed off because I didn't play from the beginning that I could.

Even that I was a little bit injured, but I don't know why, but in my head, I was, I should to play from the first minutes.

So I was pissed off and I came to the second half.

I scored five goals in nine minutes.

But even after the game, I didn't, I didn't know what I did.

I was like, in some different worlds, you know, I just, I was so focused to score the, for one, one, then two, one.

Okay.

If then for three, one.

And okay, if I can, I can score the next one, next one.

Even I remember one, like the situation after the game that Thomas Miller pushed me to the fans.

Hey, celebrate with the fans.

And I, why?

We won the game.

Okay.

Important game.

Because we were fighting to the first, to the first place in the, in the Bundesliga.

But I didn't realize, why?

What do you, what do you want from me?

Yeah, I'm scoring.

We won.

As a team.

Not only me.

But you knew you'd scored five goals in nine minutes.

I didn't know.

I didn't know.

How did you not know?

I know that I scored goals, but I didn't know what does it mean.

Even the next game, we have the open train for the fans.

I came out.

And I don't know how many, 2,000 fans.

I don't know how many fans was on the training.

They started, you know, to do it.

I don't know.

Why?

What's happened?

We won the game.

Okay, I scored the goals.

And even that time.

And I remembered that I found the solution that I don't want to read nothing about this game about me because three days later we had Champions League.

I scored three goals.

Three days later we had Bundesliga, I scored two goals.

And three days later we had, I think, Champions League again or some games or maybe Bundesliga again.

And in four games I scored 12 goals.

And I didn't read nothing about myself.

And that was like the first test in my life.

I didn't want because I was so focused on the next challenge.

But why was seeing positive information about you making you weaker?

Because I started thinking, if I read too much about myself, amazing, brilliant information that, you know, I would be too much relaxed, you know.

And first time that I started thinking about what I did in this five goals in nine minutes, I remember till now, was the Christmas time.

Because that was the first time that I was like more relaxed with my family.

And I understood that I remember till now that I was on the table with my family.

And I was like, I did like, ah, oh, fuck.

I know what I did now, what I achieved, you know.

And I remember that was like three months later, yeah, two and a half months later.

And I was, I had in my vision, like, you know, corridor that I want to do the best what I can.

So I can, I don't, I don't want to lose time for thinking about this.

And, you know, it's like, the emotional in football is also very important.

You know, even that you read the bad things, that now is the opposite side.

If you read too much, you know, because the fans or someone even that doesn't know you, talk about you, or starting to write what is the best for you.

If you are not strong, or if you read this too much also, it's like, so many players are with these problems, you know.

Okay, sometimes you can, you can handle this, but for the, not for the long term.

And I'm starting to, to work on my mentality, psychology as well, because I knew it, that the psychology in my life always was the most important things.

Because I, even that I finished my career, I don't have the, I don't want to have the problem, psychology.

But it can happen, you know, because you're going to miss something.

Every day, you're waking up, you go to the training, you have plan, who, since 20 years, or no, 20, I think 30 years, because I started playing football when I was eight years old.

And I'm 38, so almost 30 years, someone did the plan for you.

You have to be on the training at that time, you have to be on the game that time, and after so many years, you have to do it yourself.

So I know that will be tough sometimes for me, but I never, in my life, always, the main point was the psychology for myself, for my family or people around me, the most important things.

That's why, even though I choose to do something, I choose it because of the psychology things that can help me, not opposite sides.

Even that, so many people don't understand this.

And your daughters are very young, but what do you say to them already to help them to try and create the mindset that you've got?

I'm starting to talk with them. Of course, we have the subject in the school now, you know, and I know, I don't, sometimes I'm trying to be, I am from, between me and my wife, I am the guy who is more, a little bit more tough to them.

But because I know that the life is not easy, you know, it doesn't matter that you are a football player or you are going to some company to work in, it doesn't matter because you have to be, you don't have to be, but it's better that you are ready for the real life, you know.

And I'm trying to explain them so many things that what important in their life is, you know.

What's the one thing you'd love them to understand?

The respect.

You know, I'm trying to always to, no, I had the last week, even the conversation with my oldest daughter, she's eight years old, and I'm starting hearing that she's starting using the words probably from the school for the different kids.

She's bad, but she doesn't know what does it mean, and also starting to talk about me, you know, and starting to talk with my daughters that it's not important, you know, what your father's name is or who I am, who is your father.

The more important is that you have to respect every parent, every father, you know, because it's not important what you have at home, it's more important what you want to take out from your home.

And I started to speak with her, to explain how words look or what's going to be, even that she's going to be 18, 20, 30 years old, you know.

That, okay, I know that the next month or year is going to be more conversation like this, but I'm slowly starting to explain her so many I can.

I mean, I love the role that you're playing in your daughter's lives. I'm interested in who filled that gap as a father figure for you after your father had passed away.

You know, in our home, also my wife had the problem with father because, you know, her father left the house when she was 14 years old.

So we talked a lot about this and she told me that so long he was at home that, you know, for the daughters, father is like the hero.

You know, and she lost his father when she was in the age that she needed him a lot.

And also she explained me how important is what I'm doing at home, how it's going to be important father for them, not only now, but even later, more important, you know, because, you know, daughters, they're trying to find someone like father so many times in the future, you know, as the boyfriend or maybe the husband.

And I don't want to, I don't want to, I don't want to, I don't want to try to tell them that everything what I'm doing is perfectly because I'm not perfectly, I'm not doing always the best things or perfectly things.

But more importantly, that she has to listen to her voice.

This is, it doesn't matter what the people saying in the school, what the kids saying in the school.

I'm trying to tell her also that, listen, you're hurt and try to find the best way that will be the best for you, not for someone else.

And, you know, it's also tough because she's very emotional.

The youngest is more, as me, you know, she doesn't care too much about what's going on around, but the oldest one, she's very emotional.

And so I know that also important to take care of her, but also I'm not trying that, that we as the parents too much take care of her, you know, she has to know it, what she has to do in the future for her, you know, also that we'll be not living with her all life, you know.

It's normal that some day she came and, daddy, I want to leave.

And I say, okay, if you're ready, I can help you.

But now you have your own way, you know, and you have to be ready for this.

But you've spoken about you wish that you'd been a little bit more arrogant yourself when you first started playing football.

How did you learn to cross that line between arrogance and confidence and who helped you?

I tried to find my way alone, you know, sometimes I didn't know, I just tried.

And of course, I didn't, I never was like arrogant.

Of course, I was the striker.

So on the pitch, I was so many times egoistic, you know, that I know that I have to be thinking about myself, but because that can help not only me, but that things can help also my teammates, you know.

So, and even now, even now, I have to say that my position, I can compare with the position of goalkeeper.

Because we are playing with the team, but how we should to train, we should to train different as the rest of the teammates, you know.

So, because even that you play some games, how many touches you have as a striker and how many touches has the midfield players or defender.

It's completely like you have maybe 20% of all touches during the training session and the midfield 60% and 30% or 40% also has defenders.

So, every training session, you have less touches, you know.

So, if you're one week, two weeks, one month, two months, so it doesn't mean that your teammates doing like 1,000 in one week or I don't know how many and you're doing 200 only touches.

So, it means that you need the extra exercise or the different exercise.

And even that during the game, always I was trying to think different, the teammates, trying to figure out how to score the goal, you know, how to be one step quicker, faster than my opponent, you know.

And if you're in the box, sometimes you're doing the things, not thinking about these things, just automatically.

You're doing that because you train this, because you have it in your blood, because not that you had only 20 touches in the game, because you're doing the exercise extra, you know.

And in the end, you always have to think more, you know, about yourself than your teammates because of that position.

But because if you want to take out the best what you have inside, not only in the head, but also in the legs, that helps you a lot.

Tell us about the importance of hard work then, because we talk so much in football about natural talent or natural ability.

But I get the impression with you that you've also had to force a lot.

You know, you lost your dad at a young age.

A year later, you get released and you get badly injured when you're released by Legio Warsaw.

You then go right back to the very lowest rung of Polish football and fight your way back up.

And then you end up moving to Dortmund and fight your way to win over the fans after a difficult start there.

Then you go to Bayern and you have to fight to show you're a Bayern player.

Then you come to one of the biggest clubs in the world and fight to show that you deserve to play at Barcelona.

I think your career is littered with hard work, self-belief, but also fight.

So I am the fighter, yeah?

Do you think you are?

Yeah, I think you have to be.

You have to be.

If you don't fight, you cannot achieve everything what you want.

Okay, you can achieve some goals.

But I think in my way, if I don't fight for myself, I will be not in the same place that I am.

That's for sure.

I don't know because I am the fighter, because of my situation, my history in my life, that I lost my father, that I was injured in very, I was 70 years, yeah, in 70 years in Legia Warsaw, that I finished my contract.

So I was without the club after injury that I couldn't even run for 100%.

I remember till now that my legs were still behind because my muscles were so weak.

But still, I believed myself.

Of course, I knew that everything what I'm doing, I'm doing because I want.

And if that time I listened to people around, probably I'm not in the same place and we are not talking now.

You would have walked away if you'd have taken advice.

Yeah, probably.

Because at that time I had two ways, you know, maybe to finish with the football or to show everyone that they did the big mistakes.

And I chose this way, you know, because I knew that even I was young, I, you know, I still, I have from my eyes the picture that you see that one group going in that way because everyone's going and one guy going the left, you know.

And after so many years, I, I can tell you that I am this guy, you know, to go the different way.

So were you born with this self-belief?

I think, yeah, because I was, when I was young and, you know, some group, especially that we are in the school and, you know, your friends, everyone tell, oh, come on, we are going and we are doing this.

And, you know, that from, because of depression and so many people doing this because of the group, because so many people tell you, you know, and I'm always was this guy.

I say, no, I don't want, no, I'm going to do this.

I'm going that way.

You know, even that day was angry and so many times, of course.

But in the end, I knew that that is best for me, not from someone.

And I think that maybe I'm born with this or maybe I learned, even that I don't know from who or from where.

There's a conversation that you recount you had after a 3-0 defeat against Marseille with Jurgen Klopp, where, in your words, you said you had a conversation that, unlike one you'd had since your father died.

Would you tell us about it?

That conversation, of course, that was a very important conversation for me.

But I was like one year in Germany in maybe three, four months.

So I didn't speak too much, you know, I was speaking in Germany, but not fluency that could speak about so emotional things in Germany.

But we were speaking about two hours, you know, even that I didn't understand him a lot.

For me, more important was like that I had conversation like maybe with like my father.

And for me, it was important his impression, you know, just to see in his eyes, in his face.

I saw that he believed in me, you know, he believed in me.

He knows that I'm a good player, that even I was, I didn't understand what he wants from me, you know, because I came to him and asking, Jurgen, what do you want from me?

Because I don't understand why you want that I'm playing like that or, you know, tactically, everything, you know.

And after two hours, I understood that I miss this kind of conversation since years with my father.

And even I cannot tell you everything, what he told me, because I don't understand, I didn't understand.

But more, what, what more important was that I saw someone like big guy, you know, that looks not, I want to say similar, but in the same shape as my father.

And I found it something that maybe I miss since years because I lost my father.

And I remember that we played Champions League on Wednesday and Saturday was the game Bundesliga.

And we won 4-0 against Augsburg, I think.

And I scored a hat-trick and assist.

I had an assist, you know.

So that was the first game that I pushed myself and I showed, not everything, but I showed my skills, you know, the first game.

And after this conversation, after these games, everything in my life, in my career is going up.

Do you think that you emotionally closed off after the loss of your father?

Do you think in that conversation with Jurgen Klopp, he managed to unblock some of that emotion?

For sure.

He unblocked me in some case.

I don't know which, I don't know what exactly.

And although you don't understand the whole conversation.

No.

What do you understand, he said, that lit you up, that made you understand, that unblocked you?

Belief.

I think that I saw him, his face, like what he had in the eyes, that he believed that I am the guy who can not only score a lot of goals, but who can be one of the best, you know.

So, and of course, I understood a few things, you know, and, but what most important things in this conversation, what I take it out, was that just things inside, emotionally, not about, I think that everything when we talk about the football, for me, wasn't important.

Most important was that he talked to me like, like the man who is talking with the son, of maybe for me, from my side, for Jurgen, for sure not, but for my side, that was like that.

And I think that he unblocked my, no, I want to say not talent, but he unblocked like, you know, that freedom.

Freedom.

Oh, I think the freedom, yeah.

And because before, I heard so many times from the people from Dortmund, because the first season was tough for me, you know, the language, the culture, everything, the training session, the intensity of the training session was tough, because I want to show, I am the guy who can do everything, and I show you that I can do this.

But it was too hard, you know, and then one game, I missed some situation, and et cetera, was difficult.

And I think that this freedom give me like, no, I want to say that they tell me so many times, if you show us in the game, 70% of your performance in the training session, for us will be enough.

But I couldn't in the game, you know, and I think after this conversation, I give them the best what I had.

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I think most fans have said at some point, one day, I'm going to follow a World Cup.

It is the ultimate bucket list trip, right?

It's certainly on my bucket list.

And if you're going to do it, Seattle is the place to make it happen in 2026.

Now, one of the things that I love about Seattle, and I've traveled all around the US, is how walkable and compact the place feels.

So the stadium sits right next to downtown, so you can step out of the match and straight into the city's buzz.

The weather is perfect for football.

All those mild summer days that the city's famous for will make all the games feel enjoyable.

Nature is everywhere.

There's gorgeous waterfront views, breathtaking mountain backdrops.

Honestly, this is like an American city where the outdoors always feels within reach.

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If you want to discover more, go to visitseattle.org and start planning your perfect summer of football.

You're very interesting, because often when people are really successful, they want the world to understand the way that they think.

But you're someone who's very successful, but I get the impression that all you want to do is find out from other people.

What do you think?

What do you know?

And I wonder whether we could talk a bit about some of the managers you've worked with and the biggest lesson that you learned from each one.

So maybe starting with Jürgen, the biggest lesson that he taught you?

He, you know, when I think about Jürgen and what he gave me, what he gave me, what he taught me, that, you know, this mentality that Jürgen was very impressed, you know.

He was like the guy who from one side, he can hack you, you know, like a father, like an uncle, but from another side, he was like the bad teacher.

And I was very young, so for me, that was very good lessons, you know, in this time.

And, you know, that's true that in my life, the football career, I want to take everything, what each of the coaches, they have the best.

From Jürgen Klopp, from Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti, Jupp Henkes, Nagelsmann as well, you know.

Of course, in Barcelona, Hansi Flick, or even in Bayern Munich as well.

Because I know that I'm the guy who loves to teach, you know, to, not only because of the football.

But because of my life, I also had a good conversation with the people, like the presidents or owners of the clubs, you know, about the club, about what's going on off the pitch, you know.

For example, okay, Borussia Dortmund as well, with Akivatski, you know, we had so many conversations.

But in Bayern Munich that you see that the club, they, you know, how they manage the club is everything like Germany, you know, the Ordnung, that everything's going perfectly line.

And now in Barcelona, they had so many financial problems that how they fix, try to fix it is very interesting, you know, it's so tough, but it's very interesting.

And I think I can take this so many things from the football, so in the business things, you know, for the future, for example.

Or, you know, it's like if you are talking about the coaches, like, of course, Jurgen Klopp was the guy, even that I talk with him, like I see that pure love, you know, that everything what he tried to speak is like pure.

And he's doing that because of what he had in the heart.

But Pep was like the tactically coaches who can change your mind, to change your, you know, your thinking about the football.

And of course, he was like SMN, sometimes tough, difficult for the players.

Not for me.

Too tactical.

I think that the Pep wanted, he gave you 110%, but he wanted from you as well 100%.

And I think that not everyone was ready for this.

Because, you know, you have some players that they can, they want to enjoy the football more.

They are not ready mentally to give someone so many, you know.

For me, it was easier because I was ready for this, you know, mentality, not only physically, but mentally as well.

And Pep is, I don't know, now after so many years, he changed maybe, you know.

If you talk now with the City players, maybe they told you that maybe it's not the same Pep as 8 years ago or even 10 years ago, you know.

For sure.

Because when I see that how they play, that he has to change as well.

But, you know, it's like, I'm appreciated that I met so huge, not only names in my football way, but also amazing people, like the personality from the beginning, because probably because of them, now I'm here where I am.

Of course, I know it that, I remember one conversation with Pep, and he told me, I can help you to build up how that you got the ball in the box, but don't listen to nobody who tries to tell you what you should do to do the ball.

Because you are the best, you know better than me, and you know that.

Don't listen to other coaches to try to, you have to run the first post, you have to run there.

No, I know that you know better for everyone in the world, so listen to yourself.

And that was for me, how is it possible?

How was I listening to the coach, what did they tell me?

And after, he also changed my mind.

And because, you know, the striker, sometimes if you see the game, that's so many things.

No, he should run there, because like, everyone should run the first post.

But I see the football, the situation in different ways.

You know, because I know that defender is easier if he's waiting that I'm running the first post.

So sometimes it's better to wait or change the position with someone who attacked from the second line.

And yeah, that's true that later I didn't listen to much coaches.

About, no, about only not tactically things, about what I should do in the box, you know.

And I had so many write about what is a better way, what is better for me in this situation, for the team as well.

Of course, I need so many conversations with my teammates to know it, that if I'm going there, that way, that you have space, you can attack the space where it's free, you know.

And then maybe if you got the ball, you are alone.

Of course, and Bayern, that was working very well, and Barcelona as well, you know.

In the beginning was maybe tough, but after when they understood the players' teammates, that I'm this kind of place that likes attack.

In this situation, first post, but in this situation, second post.

That is easier for the old team.

And what about Carlo Ancelotti?

Oh, he gave me so many self-confidence, you know.

He came to Bayern, and the first season, that everything's working very well, you know.

And he's starting to talk with me, he's starting to give me some advice that I should do the free kick, you know.

That he believed in me, that I can do this.

And he gave me a lot of self-confidence, you know.

And I saw it that after this, I scored the first, maybe not first, but I started to scoring the goals from the free kick.

And then penalty as well, you know.

And some kind of situation that I took responsibly for the team.

Yeah, he helps me a lot.

I would like to talk to you about the Ballon d'Or moment.

Because I think the way you've dealt with that has been, you understand the word magnanimous?

The English word, like, you've accepted it.

How have you accepted it?

Because for so many people, it feels very wrong.

When I heard this conversation, question, then I started to understand that was some big, you know, I don't want to say mistake, but big, you know, that the Ballon d'Or, that the gala wasn't happening, you know.

But for me, I don't think about this, nothing, really.

Only when I got this question, I started to think, okay, I should win maybe.

Maybe it's so many people talking that I should to win, but what I can do, you know, it's like, that was a few years ago.

I won two times in the row the best football in the world, you know.

So for me, for the guy from Poland, winning FIFA the best player in the world two times in the row, it means a lot.

But of course, like, for the image, like, for the show, Ballon d'Or is always like, because it's more gold, you know.

But in the end, I don't have that, I'm sleeping bad or I'm thinking about this, no.

But if I got this question, okay, something big, because so many people asking me about this and, but what I can do?

Nothing, you know, and then next, later 2021, I lost, I was second and I lost with Leo Messi.

It means a lot that I was a guy, the competition between me and Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

I was in this era very close and sometimes I won against them, like the FIFA, you know, two times.

The best player in the world, okay, Ballon d'Or, I wasn't in the first place, but in the end, it doesn't change my mind about my career, my football way, you know.

Ballon d'Or, okay, for the media, for the, you know, journalists, big things, but not for me.

You know, it's like, it doesn't change my life.

One thing that's interesting though, is this, this was a battle of you against Lionel Messi.

And I actually, you're good friends with Novak Djokovic, yeah?

Yeah.

I often look at his career and I think there's Novak and he's always had Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal winning things and just pipping him.

And I then look at your career and I think you've always had Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, just that tiny edge.

And I often wonder what his career and your career would look like without those people in the way.

You know, I think that the Cristiano Lionel Messi helped me a lot, you know, because I'm trying to achieve, not the level, but what they achieve with the goals, you know, with the titles.

And, you know, that motivated me a lot.

On the beginning, I didn't even, I wasn't dream to be so close, to fight with them, to win some titles.

And in the end, I won over them, you know.

It means like, wow, when I think about this, when I'm looking back, it means a lot.

But, of course, I can, I cannot tell you that I was the better player than them, but I could compare with them some, you know, even two years in the row, I remember like I was me, Cristiano and Lionel Messi, and between us was who's going to win, you know.

And the next year I was, I think that between me, Lionel Messi as well, and maybe, I don't know, that Cristiano as well was there.

But even that I was there, not one time, but two times, it means, wow, I was in their world, in their table, you know, so close.

And it means a lot for me.

I don't want to say that I was much more better player, or I was better player than Cristiano and Lionel Messi, of course not.

But, but it means a lot that I could be a competition guy with these big names, and you know, and it's like, wow, amazing.

I think a good lesson from your life as well for people is, you only really seem to want to control the things you can control.

You can't control the Ballon d'Or, you can't control the success of Cristiano and Lionel, but you can control your own work ethic and your own self-belief, and you can control not living with regret.

Is that fair?

Yeah, I think, I think, when I think about myself, everything what I achieve, I can be proud of myself, you know.

I cannot, I don't want to compare my way to Lionel Messi, to Cristiano, or the different players, because everyone from us, starting from the different level, from different situation,

with, everyone from us has the different problems, you know.

But when I look up and I see all titles, everything what I achieve, I can be very proud of myself, and I can, I can go in my head, up.

The boy from Poland did good.

I think very good.

Well, given that you are in the same company as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, what is the one thing that you think distinguishes elite talent like you guys from other footballers and from the rest of the population?

Yeah, I can, I can speak about myself, you know, because I know, I don't know exactly what Leo and Cristiano, I can, I know maybe, but you know, I cannot talking in, for them.

But for myself, I know that it doesn't matter how good you play the last game.

The most important is the next game.

And in football, we have so many games and expectation is very high.

Not only on the pitch, that's 80,000, I don't know, maybe more fans looking on you, but the people on television, looking at the television, also, it's different if you play for the club, but different if you're playing for the national team, you know.

But it's, for the football player to stay on the top, it's tough, you know, not only because of expectation, but also you have to be ready always, because if one game you don't play well, then the people start to talk.

Like, you had the bad performance.

Okay, it can happen.

But you have so many games that you have to think about recovery.

Because if you don't think about recovery, the next game you're going to be more tired.

If you're going to be more tired, then you're going to start thinking slowly.

If you're starting thinking slowly, then your legs starting to run slowly.

If your legs starting slowly, then you cannot score the goal.

And, of course, the kind of different position, because striker, so many people knows that you play well or not.

Because if you score, then good.

If not, then bad.

It doesn't matter that you did an amazing job.

And these kind of things are sometimes good, because if you score the goal, even that you play bad, then it's fine, you know.

But in the football, of course, for the strike, it's important that your head, that everything that you had, that also you are ready for the game.

Not only physically, but mentally.

Because even that you feel well, your body physically well, but mentally, you know, you cannot score the goal.

Goals.

Maybe you can score one game, one goal.

It can happen next game.

But to scoring goals almost every game, it's not only because of your skills.

More is because of your mentality.

And I remember when I was scoring 69 goals in one year, you know, in 55, I think, that I did the same level as Cristiano Ronaldo, the best season, you know.

And Cristiano, when you are looking back, that he was scoring 91, the best year, that he scored 91 goals, it's like, wow, I'm there.

Yeah, I'm 69.

And it's like, before the game, that even is not important for the team or for you.

Because if you win, if you lose, it doesn't happen.

But for the striker, it's very important.

Because if you're going to score, maybe you're going to break some record.

Maybe you're going to win some titles in the end, you know.

And you cannot be ready physically.

You have to always ready also before the game mentality for the striker.

Because it's not like that we're going on the pitch and we're just playing.

If I play pass, if I change the side, diagonal ball, it will be fine.

No, the strike has to be always ready and every second.

You cannot start thinking, okay, in the second half, I'm starting to be more focused.

Sometimes it's too late.

You have to be ready before the game.

And you cannot start like one hour before the game.

After the game, for me, after the game, I already started preparation for the next game.

And what is the cost of living a life like this for so many years?

Maybe you have to ask my wife or my friends.

But of course, it's not easy.

It's not easy because everything what you are doing at home is because of football.

You know, sometimes I was so many times so tired.

So I was always thinking I have to come back to home because in two days we have another game.

So I have to be ready.

I cannot walk somewhere.

Somewhere I cannot go somewhere because I was starting to think if I rest at home well, then I will be ready for the game.

If I do some stupid, not stupid, but normal things that cost me like the power, maybe in the game I miss something, you know.

And so many choices I choose in my life

was because of the football.

Has the pressure ever affected your mental health?

Yeah, of course.

The pressure, especially sometimes, you know, that not only the club, but also the national team.

So many people believe in you.

And you know that because of you, that means a lot, not only for you, but also for the players and also for the fans.

And if you're going to play bad, if you don't score the goal, you know that maybe you don't win the game.

If you don't win the game, that maybe you don't qualify to World Cup or to the Europe Championship, you know.

And that was, I think, national team, the pressure was much more higher than in the club.

Also because the expectation was very high, you know, because I was playing the best club in the world.

So many things were starting to thinking that we have two, three players in the good club that we are ready to win some titles, you know.

And now I think in every nationality, good nationality, you have players that playing in the good league, in the La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, you know, so that there's so many people thinking still that if you play away of Poland, that means that you are playing the good club.

But now everyone, almost everyone from the nationality playing in this kind of good clubs.

So it's mean for me that I came to national team

from that time Dortmund and Bayern Munich.

I was scoring every game's goals and then the national team was more tough to score a goal, you know, or I scored, but a little bit less.

That was starting to people talking, ah, in Poland, he don't want, you know, just for the club.

And that for me was like, I didn't hit this kind of bullshit, you know, because I didn't play for money for national team.

I didn't play because I could win something, you know, from myself.

No, I play for national team because I love my country, because I want it and because I want to give them something, you know, that they can enjoy the happiness.

And sometimes the expectation was very high.

And, you know, it's like, for me also was tough.

I remember that my expectation also for the teammates in the national team was almost the same level as I was in the Bayern Munich.

I had to change that, you know, because I couldn't expect for my teammates in the national team the same level as Bayern Munich.

I don't want to say to everyone, but, you know, to the quality.

And for me, that was also like, okay, I cannot expectation for them that we're going to play the same level as I was in the Bayern Munich.

Because for them was tough.

And also I pushed them a lot.

And I'm starting to see that for so many players was too much, you know.

Mentality was too much because I was thinking, if I can do this, so you can do this as well.

But it wasn't correct, you know.

And I'm starting to, okay, change this because it was, I don't know that maybe that was my mistake, but also maybe because I pushed them also that they tried to do the next step, even that they didn't want or they didn't try or they didn't afraid, you know.

But in the end also, I learned a lot on this case because it's difficult from Bayern or Barcelona, you know, and the national team, you are on a different level.

But your expectation was in the same level.

But I couldn't expect the same from my teammates in the national team.

We've reached the time for our quickfire questions.

Okay.

So the first one is, and you've got to try and answer these short, your best ever game.

Only one?

Yeah.

Wow.

Okay, I don't know the best, but most epic.

Yeah, yeah.

The five goals in nine minutes.

Yeah.

For sure, four goals in the semifinal of Champions League against Real Madrid.

Yeah, most epic, yeah, for sure.

Like, or even, you know, it depends what does it mean.

But most epic, yeah, directly I can see.

You know, World Cup, because of the goal.

No, but these two directly are in my mind, yeah.

Very good.

What's the best piece of advice you've ever received?

Terry Henry told me one story.

His story, I think, with Arsene Wenger.

After that, one game or training session, he came to him and asking what he can do better to beat a better football.

And Arsene Wenger told him,

I can tell you.

You have to find out yourself.

And I started to think about this, and it's like so good advice.

And I think my way, my life was the same.

I had to find out my way,

what I should do better, what I should do to do the next step.

Not that someone tell me.

If you don't figure out, that maybe you don't have too much respect for this, that you did this yourself.

And life is so much more interesting when you work it out for yourself.

Okay, sometimes that might help you a lot.

But I have to say that if I get this kind of advice earlier maybe, that will be easier in some things.

But of course, the taste in the end is much more better here.

What are the three non-negotiable behaviors that you and everyone around you is expected to bite into?

Some always are trying to be honest.

Even that for someone was tough because I'm trying to tell the truth, you know, and not everyone wants to hear the truth.

But I think honestly, hard work and

never give up.

And finally, for people that have listened to this amazing conversation and understand even more about your career, what would you like them to leave thinking about as the one golden rule for living a high-performance life?

Always thinking about your psychology.

Because it doesn't matter that you are a football player or you are in your life, private life, that's the most important thing.

If you stay healthy,

then the rest, another things, you can fix yourself.

So I think psychology or mentality things are the most important that you have to take care of this.

Robert,

thank you very much.