Robert Lewandowski reveals how Pep Guardiola played a role in decision to join Barcelona

Robert Lewandowski has revealed that his time working with Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich indirectly influenced his decision to join Barcelona.

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On Sunday night at Camp Nou, veteran Polish striker Robert Lewandowski made his debut for Barcelona after joining the Catalans this summer in a highly-anticipated transfer move. In the Joan Gamper Trophy final, Xavi Hernandez's team defeated the Pumas 6-0, in which he scored the first goal of the match within the first three minutes. While fans continue to rave about the 33-year-old's strike, the Poland international has revealed that his time working with Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich indirectly influenced his decision to join the La Liga giants.

For Barcelona, Lewandowski is a significant acquisition. The Polish striker has established himself as one of the most potent forwards in the European game after scoring 344 goals in 375 games for Bayern Munich. In La Liga, he is expected to achieve more goals.

Speaking in comments carried by Diario Sport, Lewandowski revealed that his time working with Pep Guardiola at Bayern indirectly influenced his decision to come to Camp Nou. "Guardiola's philosophy and his style for caring for and managing the team were like bringing Barcelona to Bayern Munich," he said. 

"I didn't talk to Guardiola before signing. But when I was with him at Bayern, it was like a great preparation to come to Barcelona one day. All the staff were Spanish, and there were eight Spanish players. I had a very good relationship with Thiago [Alcantara] and Javi Martinez during that period. Both of them congratulated me when I signed for Barcelona," the Polish superstar said.

Lewandowski is, however, slightly sad about how things ended with Bayern Munich. "I know that hurt a lot of fans," he told Sport1. "I can understand that, and now I just apologise for that. At that time, it was important and necessary for me to make it clear that I was ready for a change."

Image Credit: Robert Lewandowski Instagram

"At the end of the day, we are all human. After 12 years in Germany, it was clear to me that my time was over. I wanted to make that clear, and of course, it was not easy for Bayern to accept a sale during this phase. It was a difficult situation for everyone involved and we had to find the best solution. I needed this change, this move to another country, to another club. I feel like a child with a new toy," the 33-year-old striker added.