Robert Lewandowski gets his way: The striker is allowed to move to FC Barcelona after a month-long transfer posse. At the end of his time at FC Bayern, everyone is happy again and assures each other of mutual respect.
Robert Lewandowski (opposite "Sky"): "I'll come back and say goodbye to all the employees. I didn't have a long time to prepare for it either. It all happened too fast now to say goodbye to everyone . These eight years were special and you don't forget that. I had a great time in Munich."
... and via Instagram: "I would like to thank my teammates, all employees and the management of FC Bayern, as well as everyone who supported us and made it possible for us to win the many titles. I am very proud of everything , what we have achieved together. Above all, I would like to thank the fans. It is you who make the club. We, the players, are only here for a moment. For me, this moment lasted eight wonderful years that I have lived for will always be kept in my heart."
Oliver Kahn (FC Bayern chairman on the developments of the last few weeks, which ultimately led to Lewandowski's transfer - despite Kahn's "Basta!" announcement from May): "A few weeks ago we had neither an offer for Robert nor the opportunity "To find a player of his quality. In Sadio Mané, we have now signed an absolutely world-class player who can play anything in offense. We now have the opportunity to see what else is happening on the transfer market. We continue to monitor everything that is possible is."
Those responsible at FC Bayern had repeatedly vehemently opposed an early farewell, referring to Poland, who was still running until June 30, 2023 - and thus also pushed up the transfer fee for Lewandowski to ultimately probably 50 million euros. "We were always in the driver's seat and always acted from the position of strength. And in the end, we think it was the best thing to give Robert the go-ahead," Kahn told the "Bild" newspaper.
... and about Robert Lewandowski's time at FC Bayern: "What he has achieved here for FC Bayern is more than outstanding. He has won everything here, contributed to the many titles, has become the world footballer at FC Bayern Munich. "
Hasan Salihamidzic (FC Bayern Board Member for Sport): "Such a departure is not easy for any club. He was the best striker since Gerd Müller and has achieved great things for FC Bayern. I see it with mixed feelings. We We talked to our colleagues from Barcelona for a long time and clarified the details. He will come back after the US trip, then we will have a coffee. We wish him every success." In the future, the goals that Lewandowski guaranteed for years would have to be redistributed: "We have a lot of players on offense who are very flexible. We have to replace 40 to 50 scorer points and have to make the other guys responsible who are but now also free to play. The coach is quite comfortable with the current staff."
Julian Nagelsmann (FC Bayern Munich coach): "Of course, if you lose a striker who scores 40 goals over several years, that's a big component that falls away. On the other hand, it's a big challenge and a big opportunity for everyone to still let Bayern Munich shine after the Lewandowski era. It was clear that this moment would come at some point - whether this year or next. I see it more as a challenge to still create something big with Bayern."
Herbert Hainer (President of FC Bayern), who, like the rest of FC Bayern's management team, had initially and for weeks vehemently rejected Lewandowski's farewell: "In the meantime we have been very active on the transfer market, also very successful, with a world-class player like "To get Sadio Manè. Now we can deal with that too. Robert is a very deserving player, he won everything with us. We are extremely grateful to him. However, we also gave him a team to help him win these titles In this respect we are all happy that there was a solution that gives us the means to continue investing in the future of the team."
Pini Zahavi (adviser to Robert Lewandowski to "Sky"): "In the end, I think everyone emerges as a winner from this story. Robert deserves it, after so many great years and loyal service to FC Bayern Munich with his head held high to take on a new challenge. And Bayern have received very good financial compensation. This great club will always be one of the biggest in the world and I wish them the best of luck and success for the next season."
Thomas Müller (Lewandowski's strike partner for eight years): "In the end we already suspected that this could and will happen. But now that the time has come, it wasn't that easy for Lewy either, I think. Lewy wasn't just an important personality over the past eight years, but also a formative figure on the pitch that has probably also shaped our game."
Manuel Neuer (FC Bayern captain): "Of course it's a heavy loss, we will miss him."
