Interview Quotes

Childhood Dreams and Early Challenges

"In my head, always I have big dreams."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:00:02

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

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:00:06

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

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:00:13

"He died before my first game."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:00:15

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

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:00:17

The Mental Game in Football

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

— Interviewer • 00:00:22

"I have to say that both."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:00:24

"Which is more important?"

— Interviewer • 00:00:25

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

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:00:27

"What general, what you need to be on the top. You know, not for one, two or three years, but many years."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:00:29

Adapting to a Changing Game and Culture

"Because the football is changing. I think every five years that the football change a lot."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:00:34

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

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:00:51

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:01:11

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:01:20

"You were lacking a bit of empathy, a bit of personal understanding."

— Interviewer • 00:01:27

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

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:01:29

Lessons from a Different Era

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:01:32

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

— Interviewer • 00:01:45

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

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:01:49

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:02:04

"And now they're open. They know the words, you know. They know what they want as well."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:02:17

Navigating the Modern Football Landscape

"Is this a healthier culture now in football, than it was when you were first coming through, which was a much harder time?"

— Interviewer • 00:02:22

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:02:27

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:02:45

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

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:02:57

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:03:07

The Fighter's Mentality

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:03:23

"And I know that I have to work very hard. But okay, I am from Poland."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:03:29

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:03:37

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:03:42

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:03:55

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:04:24

The Impact of Loss and Resilience

"You know, I lost my father when I was 16 years old. And that was very tough for me, you know."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:04:40

"And nobody tell me how to be the man, you know. I have to try."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:04:50

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

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:04:54

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

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:05:02

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

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:05:31

"You closed up emotionally."

— Interviewer • 00:05:41

"Yeah, emotionally. Yeah, for sure."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:05:43

"And I'm starting to think, wow, it's amazing. So I'm starting to learn from them as well."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:05:59

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

— Interviewer • 00:06:23

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:06:34

A Father's Legacy and Football's Calling

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

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:06:48

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

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:07:04

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

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:07:07

"But only football gives me like the pure happiness. Without stress, without nothing."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:07:23

"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?"

— Interviewer • 00:07:30

"You know, when I'm thinking about my father, he's like the real man. You know, he was big, he was very strong."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:07:35

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

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:08:08

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:08:19

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:08:25

The Importance of Internal Focus

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

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:11:47

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:11:50

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:11:57

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:12:05

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:12:17

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

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:12:27

"And I didn't read nothing about myself. And that was like the first test in my life."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:12:43

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:12:53

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:13:03

Parenting and Passing on Values

"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?"

— Interviewer • 00:13:30

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:13:45

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

— Interviewer • 00:13:55

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:13:58

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:14:05

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:14:12

"So, 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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:15:08

The Role of Mentors and Self-Discovery

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

— Interviewer • 00:15:30

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

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:15:34

"And 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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:15:40

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:15:52

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

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:16:16

"So I am the fighter, yeah?"

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:17:04

"Yeah, I think you have to be. You have to be. If you don't fight, you cannot achieve everything what you want."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:17:07

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

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:17:23

"But still, I believed myself. Of course, I knew that everything what I'm doing, I'm doing because I want."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:17:30

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:17:39

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:17:43

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

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:17:51

"And I say, no, I don't want, no, I'm going to do this. I'm going that way."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:18:05

A Pivotal Conversation with Klopp

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

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:18:20

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:18:25

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:18:36

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

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:18:54

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

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:19:06

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:19:22

"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?"

— Interviewer • 00:19:33

"For sure. He unblocked me in some case."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:19:36

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:19:50

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:20:06

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

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:20:15

"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..."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:20:24

Learning from the Best Coaches

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:21:46

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

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:22:02

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

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:22:24

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

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:22:48

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:23:08

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:23:19

"And what about Carlo Ancelotti? Oh, he gave me so many self-confidence, you know."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:23:46

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:23:52

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:24:01

The Ballon d'Or and Rivalry

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:24:32

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

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:24:47

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:24:56

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:25:31

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:25:57

"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?"

— Interviewer • 00:26:05

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

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:26:10

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:26:25

The Edge of Elite Talent

"But for myself, I know that it doesn't matter how good you play the last game. The most important is the next game."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:26:41

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

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:26:44

"And 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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:27:27

"And you cannot be ready physically. You have to always ready also before the game mentality for the striker."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:28:15

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

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:28:27

"Has the pressure ever affected your mental health?"

— Interviewer • 00:29:07

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

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:29:10

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

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:29:29

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:29:48

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:30:28

Iconic Moments and Enduring Advice

"Wow. Okay, I don't know the best, but most epic. Yeah, yeah. The five goals in nine minutes. For sure, four goals in the semifinal of Champions League against Real Madrid."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:31:10

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:31:33

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:31:44

"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."

— Robert Lewandowski • 00:32:03

"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 Lewandowski • 00:32:28