"Not the truth" is said to have said FC Bayern, Robert Lewandowski sends this accusation to Munich. As a result, the new Catalan becomes a topic in his former club's Supercup triumph. Julian Nagelsmann is trying to de-escalate - and the departure is hardly noticeable in sport anyway.
Julian Nagelsmann did not want to escalate the conflict any further and therefore chose soothing words. With Sadio Mané, in his competitive game for FC Bayern both goalscorer and asset on the offensive, the Munich team is "a bit more difficult to calculate", said the coach of the record champion and old and new Supercup winner after the 5: 3 (3: 0 ) success at the cup winners in Leipzig. "That doesn't necessarily mean that we're more successful," added the 35-year-old. A restriction that should also be understood as a kind of peace offer to Robert Lewandowski.
The seven-time top scorer in the Bundesliga has now arrived at FC Barcelona, but obviously he can't finish with FC Bayern. "Some people" said "bullshit" about him there, Lewandowski added in an ESPN interview, and also "didn't tell the truth". The back-and-forth between his frequently articulated change request and the hesitation of those responsible in Munich until the transfer fee offered by Barça reaches the desired magnitude has apparently damaged the relationship, which has been so successful for so long, lastingly, maybe even destroyed it.
"My father taught me," said Bayern's sports director Hasan Salihamidžić on "Bild" in response to the Lewandowski allegations, "that when you leave, you never close the door with your butt. Robert is on the right track, exactly that to do." That was before the Super Cup kicked off, when there was still the question of whether and how the loss of the two-time world footballer would become visible in the first competitive game after his departure. The 90 minutes in Leipzig are certainly not enough for a final assessment - but they do serve as an indication that FC Bayern can get by without a classic final player.
Five goals against one of the strongest national challengers are an announcement. Sadio Mané scored twice more, but the assistant referee's flag flew up to correctly flag offside. A few centimeters were missing for recognition, and Africa's footballer of the year would have fitted in with a hat-trick at Bayern Munich. "He is extremely good for us," Nagelsmann praised the 30-year-old afterwards, who had "outstanding quality" and was also an "outstanding guy".
At the Sky interview, Mané presented himself with the polite modesty that is repeatedly attested to him. He feels well received by the new team and is happy about his first title with the new club. The Senegalese is not a man of big words, who explained his move to Munich to the fans of Liverpool FC in a 15-minute interview, in whose comments the hymns of praise roll over. "He goes about his transfer without drama, without a circus," it says about "a true Liverpool legend". They would have liked to keep him, but don't want to deny him their desire for a new challenge.
Nagelsmann shares a similar impression after the first few weeks of working together. Mané is "simply a humble, down-to-earth and outstanding player," said the coach after his convincing competitive debut, "who defends very well, works hard and pushes the boys in the dressing room". If fine-tuning is added with match practice, the gap left by Lewandowski's departure could be filled faster than expected. Not with a classic centre-forward, but with an agile attacking player who was responsible for the five Bayern goals against Leipzig being scored by five different goalscorers.
Mané gives his team "variability," said Nagelsmann, who was noticeably trying to smooth the waves in the sometimes mud-fight-like public debate with Lewandowski. "You don't have to step down in any way," said the Bayern coach, especially in the direction of his employer: Lewandowski "played outstandingly here for eight years - with an incredible number of goals. He also scored almost 40 goals during my tenure." Instead of further escalating the conflict, one should rather "be eternally grateful to Lewy".
It remains to be seen whether this advice will be applied to Säbener Straße. Incidentally, the two-time world footballer leaves open what specific incidents at Lewandowski trigger such a lasting anger. He "didn't want to talk about what exactly happened," he told ESPN, while repeatedly speaking about what happened or letting those around him speak. There are many indications that the processing of this ugly separation will continue after a long and successful relationship.
While Salihamidžić announced a clarifying conversation with Joan Laporta, the opinionated President of FC Barcelona, Nagelsmann, after his diplomatic words about the past (Lewandowski), preferred to look ahead to the future of FC Bayern. "That was world class," he said of Jamal Musiala's performance, who scored 1-0 himself against Leipzig, started the 2-0 with an outstanding pass behind the defense and made it 3-0 after a one-two and dribbling so perfectly had prepared that Benjamin Pavard only had to push in. And thus also contributed to the fact that Robert Lewandowski's absence was not an issue, at least in terms of sport.
