Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski has given an exclusive interview to Camel Live.
The latest Ballon d’Or nominees list has been announced, and for Lewandowski, this time of year always reminds him of how close he came to winning the award.
He was one of the top contenders for the 2020 Ballon d’Or, but the award was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A year later, he finished as runner-up behind Lionel Messi in the Ballon d’Or voting and was named the Best Striker of the Year after scoring 41 goals in a season to break the league record.
“I was at the best moment of my career, I had won everything with the club, and I think the difficult thing with that case is until now I don't know why.”
When asked about who could win this year’s Ballon d’Or, Lewandowski added:
“There are many players who could win the Ballon d’Or now. Lamine Yamal had an incredible season, but in the end, it depends on what matters most. He has plenty of time; even if it's not this year, maybe next year.”
“Raphinha also had a fantastic season. We have several players who are among the contenders for the award.”
Lewandowski has played under several top coaches throughout his career and currently works under Hansi Flick, who was also his manager during his successful spell at Bayern Munich.
But the coach who has had the biggest impact on the striker is former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.
“I was young when I moved to Borussia Dortmund. I lost my father at 16, and I was really closed off, not wanting to talk about my emotions.
“However, a few years later, I met someone who, I don't want to say he's like a father, but he's very much like a father. Maybe after all these years, the kind of conversation I missed with my dad is the conversation I had with Jurgen.
“I still remember that conversation to this day because it changed my life and my football career. I talked about my emotions, I spilled words that I had been holding back for years, and after that, I felt free. Maybe that's why my game started to get better and better.”
