The BIZARRE reason Lewandowski snubbed Real Madrid

Stuart Telford

• 7 Apr 2023 15:53 BST
• 3 min read

Robert Lewandowski has hit the ground running at Barcelona since joining from Bayern Munich last summer, but he could have already been lining up on the other side of the Clasico divide.

Lewandowski joined Barca from Bayern in a €50 million deal last July and has since fired the Blaugrana to the top of La Liga with 17 goals in 23 games, adding another 10 strikes in all competitions.

Whilst Bayern were bitterly disappointed to lose a striker who had scored 344 goals in eight season with them, the fee - €45m up front with €5m to follow in add-ons - represented a significant mark-up on a plyer they had signed on a free from Borussia Dortmund in 2013.

READ: Klopp blocked! Lewandowski denied Man Utd transfer

Back then, Lewandoski had been one of the most world's most eligible players on the free transfer market, and Real had offered him terms before he agreed to join Bayern instead.

"And incredible leaked documents reveal the specific offer Real Madrid put to Lewandowski," report the Sun. "He was offered around £166,000 [€190,000] a week to go to the Bernabeu - as well as a hefty £10 million [€11.4m] signing-on fee.

NO outdoor sports

"Should he have joined Real Madrid, Lewandowski would have been banned contractually from skiing, paragliding, climbing, going on a motorboat or even riding a motorbike."

READ: Mane no Lewandowski replacement, says Dortmund legend

Whilst the documents don't say how big an impact this had on Lewandowski's decision, it is likely to have played a part.

Lewandowski's wife Anna is a former karateka and dietician who has been credited with keeping the striker in peak condition deep into his 30s.

Their outdoor lifestyle is plain to see on their social media channels, and Real will be kicking themselves in retrospect - not that they have struggled in attack.

Cristiano Ronaldo went from winger to striker around the time Lewandowski moved to Bayern, concluding his Madrid career in 2018 with a club record 451 goals, while Karim Benzema has flourished since, winning the most recent Ballon d'Or in October.