Did Barcelona ask Lewandowski to stop scoring to avoid Bayern bonus?

Updated: 23 Nov, 2025 • 0 • min read

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Did Barcelona ask Lewandowski to stop scoring to avoid Bayern bonus?

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Spanish giants Barcelona allegedly asked star striker Robert Lewandowski to stop scoring goals at the end of his first season at the club - and the reason, according to a new biography, was purely financial.

The astonishing claim is detailed in Lewandowski. Prawdziwy (Lewandowski. The Real One), written by journalist Sebastian Staszewski, who alleges that Barça executives approached the Poland international with a highly unusual request during the closing weeks of the 2022/23 La Liga season.

Lewandowski, who joined from Bayern Munich for €45 million, had enjoyed a prolific first campaign in Spain and led the league's scoring charts with 23 goals.

But with two matches remaining and the title already secured under Xavi, the club reportedly held a meeting that stunned the striker.

According to Staszewski, a senior board member said:

Robert, we need you to stop scoring goals in the last two matches.

The Reason? A Hidden Clause Worth €2.5m

It wasn't tactical. It wasn't rotational. It was, the biography claims, about money.

Barcelona allegedly risked triggering a €2.5 million performance-related payment to Bayern if Lewandowski reached 25 La Liga goals.

Sitting on 23 with two games left, he was dangerously close.

With finances stretched, and amid ongoing La Liga restrictions that still hamper the club today, the Catalan giants reportedly opted for drastic measures to protect their budget.

Lewandowski, shocked at the request, had never been asked by any club to slow down his scoring.

But he started the remaining games and didn't find the net in either, finishing on 23 goals - still enough to win the Pichichi Trophy ahead of Karim Benzema.

Barcelona's Financial Struggles Made the Issue Sensitive

Barcelona's financial difficulties are no secret.

The club are still working to regain La Liga's 1:1 spending rule, and player salaries remain a major issue.

Lewandowski, now 36, is the highest earner at the club.

His contract expires at the end of the season, and reports suggest no new deal is planned, meaning his sizeable wages will leave the books this summer - a move Barcelona hope will ease the pressure.

A Transfer Questioned - But a Signing That Paid Off

Some eyebrows were raised when Barcelona spent €45 million on a 34-year-old striker in 2022.

But Lewandowski's performances have fully justified the outlay:

109 goals in 158 matches across all competitions
La Liga title winner
Continues to be one of the game's elite finishers

Despite the controversy in his debut season, Lewandowski remains a crucial figure at the club.

Will Barcelona Confirm the Claims?

Barcelona have not responded publicly to the allegations, and the episode remains unverified.

Yet, given the club's well-documented financial constraints, the claims have sparked intense debate across Spain.

Whether the story is ever formally acknowledged or denied, it adds another chapter to Barcelona's long-running financial drama - and to Lewandowski's fascinating career.

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