Barcelona superstar praises midfield prodigy: “Easier to play with him on the pitch”

Robert Lewandowski enjoyed a successful start to life in Barcelona helping end the club’s La Liga title drought in his very first season at the club.

Now he gears up for his second season with the Catalans, and great things are once again expected from the Polish talisman.

Speaking to L’Equipe, he shared his outlook on matters related to the beautiful game, talking about his teammates, objectives for the season, and his role at Barcelona.

Praise for Pedri

Pedri has established himself as one of Barcelona’s most influential midfielders, with the Canary Islander forming a deadly partnership with Lewandowski last season.

Expressing admiration for the young sensation, Lewandowski said: “I like players who understand football like Pedri. He sees things and it’s easier to play with him on the pitch.”

The 34-year-old has always waxed lyrical about Barça’s young core and highlighted his role as a leading figure for these prospects.

“The youngsters at Barça don’t speak English, and I need to improve my Spanish. But it doesn’t matter, because we communicate in another language, the language of football.” he shared.

Lewandowski added: “I felt I had to have a role beyond scoring goals, in the mentality. It’s not just about being a role model during training. As a striker, sometimes we have to think only about ourselves, but that’s not what we need.”

Objectives for next season

Barcelona suffered a demotion to the Europa League last season, as they crashed out of the Champions League at the group stages yet again.

Lewandowski has been one of the prolific scorers of this tournament and spoke about the team’s desire to improve in this tournament.

“We have a huge potential in Barcelona. Although the first season was very good, I know we can do better in the Champions League,” he said.

Staying in shape

Lewandowski proceeds to be a physical specimen for Barcelona, and sheds light on his constant hankering for improvement.

He stated: “I’m constantly improving my preparation. I know exactly what I have to do and, if I compare myself with the youngsters in the team, I still have a lot of energy.”

After enduring a considerably taxing World Cup campaign, he was still available for Barcelona for large portions of the season.

“After the World Cup, I did a crazy preparation. I had no more fuel in my body at the time. I had to run to get back in shape for the second half of the season.” he shared.

Plans for retirement

At 34 years of age, it is evident that father time is catching up to the former Bayern striker, but Lewandowski emphasized his plans to continue playing for a few more years.

The Poland captain said: “Being questioned about my age? Age is just a number.”

“I still love scoring goals and I have not yet explored everything in football. I can still go on for many years, but I know there is an end. I don’t think I’ll be a coach, but maybe I miss the dressing room so much that I could change my mind.”