Robert Lewandowski

Robert 'Lewy' Lewandowski, role model to many youngsters in Poland. He and his wife Anna Lewandowska are THE glamor couple of Poland.

I remember watching a travelling program on TV, they were filming somewhere in Africa. The question they asked people was if they knew Poland. Surprisingly many of kids knew, they perfectly pronounced the name of one man: Lewandowski.

Lewy beat the likes of pope John Paul the second, Lech Wałęsa, Marie Curie and Fryderyk Chopin. Of course it had to do with age, but it said something. The popularity of the Bayern Münich player is huge.

I have written it before, football connects people. There might be some fighting between certain fan groups, but in general football does not know colors. Ask in Spain, especially in Catalunya, what they know of Holland. All will answer "Cruyff". From the man of the street till the president himself.

Lewandowski: Captain, leader and face of Poland's national team has a connection to Warsaw.

You see him everywhere on huge billboards. Promoting brands like Huawei, Head & Shoulders, Gillette and Vistula menswear. 

Lewandowski and Warsaw
First of all, he was born here.
Second of all, he and his wife own a penthouse in city center.

They regularly commute between Münich and Warsaw, especially when there is no club football and the national team is playing. The building is one of the most impressive towers in Warsaw, Złota44.

The last connection is a bit painful. As a youngster Robert played for Legia Warsaw, but did not break through to the first team. 

What I understood is that the main reason was his physique, he was a rather skinny, light-weight player back then. The game in Poland is pretty physical, with two big and strong defenders in your neck being a striker.

What then happened is the painful part, he became a goalscoring machine at all of his next clubs, amongst them arch rivals Lech Poznań. He became a fit and strong man and via Borussia Dortmund he ended up at Bayern Münich. Currently he is on the verge of signing a deal at Real Madrid, the biggest club in the world many say.

Painful for Legia, yes, but these things happen in football. The biggest talents can end up in amateur football, the youngsters which are average can end up being a superstar. But it is still sad that a "Warszawiak" like Lewandowski never played first team football at Legia. Maybe he could finish his career here, time will tell.