Barcelona’s financial reality was thrown into sharp focus after Robert Lewandowski revealed the club once asked him to avoid scoring goals, and one fan’s sarcastic reaction summed up the disbelief spreading across social media.
The story, earlier reported by SoftFootball, detailed how Lewandowski explained Barcelona’s attempt to limit his La Liga goal tally to avoid triggering a bonus payment to Bayern Munich during the 2022-23 season. The revelation quickly sparked debate, disbelief, and dark humour among fans.
Lewandowski said the request did not anger him, stressing his respect for the club and understanding of their financial struggles. He admitted the situation lingered in his mind, causing hesitation that cost him goals late in the season.
Despite ending on 23 league goals, fans were left stunned that such a request could be made at the elite level, especially to a striker widely regarded as one of the best of his generation. This reputation was reinforced in another SoftFootball report highlighting praise from Hansi Flick, who called Lewandowski the best striker of the decade.
Among the reactions, Elvis Tunde approached the issue with biting sarcasm rather than literal comparison. His intention was to mock how far Barcelona’s finances appear to have fallen, using humour to express disbelief that a club of such stature would worry over a player scoring goals.
He wrote in full:
I might actually be richer than this club lmao.
Other fans focused on hindsight and misplaced criticism. @_itz_mujahid pointed out that supporters had blamed Lewandowski for missing chances without knowing the pressure he was under. His comment mixed humour with frustration, highlighting how financial issues quietly shaped performances.
He said:
Brooo😂😂 being broke no good o. And their fans were busy shouting and complaining that Lewan is missing chances too much.
Some supporters downplayed the outrage by focusing on success rather than process. @__Olaff reminded fans that Barcelona still dominated domestically that season, suggesting trophies softened the controversy.
He stated
And they still won all the trophies in Spain.
Shame on Madrid
Others read deeper motives into Lewandowski’s timing. @FridayMesh11 suggested the striker’s comments were a subtle reminder of loyalty amid contract uncertainty. His view framed the revelation as pressure rather than complaint.
He said:
I feel that lewandoski is saying this due to the fact that Barcelona doesn’t want to renew his contract for another year and him saying this in more like putting pressure from both the outside and inside of Barcelona more like reminding them what he did for his loyalty.
Concerns about player psychology were raised by @nobinft_s, who stressed how such requests can linger mentally and affect decisions.
He reacted bluntly, saying:
Insane to ask a player that…
Mentally that stays in your head.
The most serious reaction came from @mnyomb1, who wanted fans to rethink how they judge players. His intention was to expose uncomfortable truths about football’s inner workings.
He warned:
This tweet explains about so much about Match Fixing even though no one admits that a player can refuse to score or put the shot outside intentionally. imagine how many players we judged for poor performance 🎭 when the issue is with the clubs.
Despite the debate, Lewandowski has continued to show commitment to Barcelona, recently ruling out an exit while focusing on winning titles, as reported by SoftFootball. The reactions show that while trophies may mask problems on the pitch, fans remain deeply engaged with the realities behind the scenes.
