Barcelona star Robert Lewandowski has finally addressed one of the more uncomfortable rumors from his first season in Spain, and his answer adds context to a stretch that puzzled fans at the time.

During the 2022–23 La Liga campaign, Lewandowski surged to 23 league goals as FC Barcelona pushed through a well-documented financial crunch. Reports later surfaced that a clause tied to his transfer from Bayern Munich would trigger a €2.5 million payment if he scored twice more. Speaking with Polish journalist Bogdan Rymanowski, via Marca, Lewandowski confirmed the situation existed and admitted it carried weight mentally.

“I was aware of the situation the club was in,” Lewandowski explained, choosing his words carefully out of respect for Barcelona’s leadership. He acknowledged the bonus mattered to the club far more than it did to him personally, yet said those circumstances still lingered in his head during matches. At football’s highest level, he stressed, even a sliver of doubt can shift outcomes.

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A Small Hesitation With Big Consequences

Lewandowski described how that internal hesitation crept in at the worst possible time. “Sometimes those five percent, even three percent, decide whether you score,” he said. He stopped short of accusing the club of wrongdoing, instead framing it as a byproduct of Barcelona’s reality at the time. The striker emphasized that sacrifices often come with wearing the badge, especially during moments of instability.

The numbers back up the story. Lewandowski went scoreless in the final two league fixtures against Mallorca and Celta Vigo, despite playing every available minute. Barcelona secured results, but the personal milestone never arrived.

Barcelona’s financial issues remain unresolved, and Lewandowski’s future continues to draw speculation as the season approaches its end. What feels clear now is that the drought was not about form or confidence alone. It was about context, pressure, and how even elite scorers are not immune when football collides with balance sheets.