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LEWANDOWSKI - UNKNOWN
What do you wish for me?
I wish for you... [Christmas carol playing]
...to be a super rich footballer who plays in a Serie A Italian club.
That you make a ton of money and support your dad when he's old.
Roberto Lewandowski, the best player in Europe.
Really?
If you keep training, that's how it will be.
Give me a kiss.
Good luck!
Keep playing as well as you do.
[funky electronic music]
[children laughing]
[funky music continues playing]
Hey.
[music fades]
[children's laughter echoing]
WOMAN: We had two trees here.
Robert used them as goals.
He used to make his favorite dog a goalie and tried to score.
IWONA LEWANDOWSKA mother
The dog was so quick he caught almost every ball with his muzzle.
We had to take care that she wouldn't bite through it.
MILENA LEWANDOWSKA-MIROS sister
Robert played at school, after school, at training,
and then, he would go out and play till dark.
He never had enough.
ROBERT: We had lots of ideas,
our imagination was always working.
We used the names of the players we adored.
When the moment was right, we screamed,
"This or that player shoots, and goal."
We wanted to feel like it was us playing in those huge stadiums.
Even though the goals were made of stones or backpacks.
[uplifting music]
We had no expectations then.
The only thing that mattered was being in the moment
and the joy we felt.
[squeaky game sounds]
[laughing]
[laughing cheerfully]
Hello!
ROBERT: When I was eight and wanted to join a club,
there wasn't one with kids my age.
So, I started playing with boys who were 2 years older - born in 1986.
We were afraid of injuries caused by collisions.
The older boys had already gained muscle mass.
ROBERT: What number was I? I need to find myself...
MAN: Do you see Robert?
ROBERT: There I am. Skinny as a twig fighting for the ball.
MAN: Go, Robert! Well done!
ROBERT: You can see what the soccer fields looked like then.
Sandy. Grass only grew during summer,
when everybody was on holiday with their parents.
The simple fact that you used to get a jersey, shorts and socks
made you proud and really happy.
Oh, I scored a goal!
IWONA: The parents were really engaged, they cheered like crazy.
They would even interrupt.
The coach would be giving instructions, but every parent knew better.
It used to annoy us
because as coaches ourselves,
we didn't like being lectured from the sidelines.
Sometimes I was disappointed with my dad,
because he was too...
calm watching me play.
I was always more impulsive...
I would ask, "What, why?
It should be a goal!"
My husband was calm: "No. Robert was offside." He saw it.
But he was also aware
how important it was not to put pressure on a young kid
during a game or training.
ROBERT: I was always afraid to run here.
That you'd fall into a bunker or something.
TOMEK ZAWIŚLAK friend
Once I took a shortcut and it stayed on my conscience.
- Did you turn back? - No. I went to coach Sikorski.
And told him I wanted to run it again.
You admitted it to him?
One time we came back to the dressing room.
We were really upset because we'd lost the game.
It turned out that the keeper on the other team was older.
- And he escaped out the window. - Yeah. They wanted to check him.
He was born in '85. Three years difference was a lot.
We were like 12 or 14 years old.
We weighed 27 kilos, he weighed 50.
What if we found that goalkeeper now?
I wonder if he would admit that he cheated against you?
- Hello! - Welcome!
Look who we have here, coach!
MAREK KRZYWICKI Varsovia coach
- The jersey. - Is it mine?
We used to play in them.
- What's the number? - I still have a whole set.
That was such a great jersey back then.
German precision.
Wait, this is rare, look where it was made.
England.
KRZYWICKI: You stole all the pictures.
There are no Varsovia photos, only Robert's photos.
ROBERT: How did it go?
"Honor a good referee and the opposing team."
Hooray!
Robert went to Straelen with the older boys.
When he came back, he said: "Mom,
I have to play in the German league!"
I asked: "Why?"
"It's so pretty there!
In front of the houses,
and the football pitches, it's like running on carpet!"
[calm music]
ROBERT: Since I was born there were no Polish footballers
who played in the big clubs, or went abroad.
I never wanted to be average.
I don't know why.
Maybe...
I was stupid, or naive enough...
...to dream so big.
[atmospheric music]
The first time I realized...
...that football was something that I would do seriously
for years to come,
was when I joined Lech Poznan.
I think this was the best choice.
I hope I don't disappoint the fans.
And I play as best as I can.
There is a lot of training behind my game.
It's not perfect yet, because perfection is unattainable.
You have to keep practicing,
and reach as high as you can.
JÜRGEN KLOPP Borussia Dortmund coach 2008-2015
[in German] It was 2008.
Someone told me there was an interesting player in Poland.
But it was not a big transfer for us.
HANS-JOACHIM WATZKE Borussia Dortmund CEO
A mere 4.5 million. And we decided we wanted him.
ANNA: Dortmund was a real turning point.
We were trying to find a balance, being together.
ANNA LEWANDOWSKA wife
We wanted to set things up so that I could be with him,
and not have to give up on my things.
I worried what would happen if I went with him.
I'd have to start studying part-time.
I'd be giving up on a part of me, karate.
I was supposed to manage a club.
What If we didn't make it?
ROBERT: Moving abroad was a difficult time for Anna and I.
In Germany you rent flats without furniture.
So we had to wait two months for a kitchen.
And the comfort of having a family home
was important enough to me,
that it really influenced my game in those first months.
Lewy wasn't a workhorse from the beginning.
He had to learn to give everything.
He was extremely talented
but he needed some time to learn to use it.
ROBERT: Training was really hard.
I was ambitious and wanted to bring my best every time.
Players would skip days if something hurt.
Not me, even if I was in pain, I kept going.
I wanted to show that even though I'm from Poland, I can make it.
Between trainings I had to deal with getting a SIM card,
a place to live, paperwork.
There was a lot. I burned myself out.
[in German] He was very withdrawn at the beginning.
He didn't speak German. Was much thinner, not very well-built.
MAN: Bobusiek.
Bobek!
ROBERT: I got the nickname when my father came back from the USA,
where he'd gone to earn some money.
He told me that Bob was short for Robert.
Since I was the smallest, they called me "Bobek".
In a store in Barcelona with my Mom,
we bought for him these capri sweatpants, as a souvenir.
When he put them on they really accentuated his skinny legs.
It wasn't the best present.
MAN: It's not too big. WOMAN: It's perfect.
MILENA: My mom still buys things with room to grow,
for us and for our kids.
Nothing's changed there.
WOMAN 1: Now you look like a real man.
A little bit oversized but it doesn't matter.
WOMAN 2: It's too big, look.
WOMAN 1: Nah, it's okay. It will be perfect in a month.
WOMAN 2: The color suits him.
ROBERT: I was a happy, cheerful boy. Open to the world.
But certain situations blocked me.
Until I was a teenager I was ashamed
because I didn't have proper muscles.
My knees were wider than my thighs.
I often felt pretty awkward.
I would wonder if I should put shorts on
because my legs were so thin that it looked weird.
I lacked self-confidence and courage.
Other kids used that to make fun of me.
You know how young boys can be.
They look for points of weakness in the weaker ones.
[commentary in German] Lewandowski!
[man in German] A thin type.
He didn't look serious at the first glance.
I think I saw two matches with him.
He didn't convince me. So, I gave up on him.
Just like the media did.
[commentator] Lewandowski... Ay!
Robert was really lucky to play with Kuba and Lukasz Piszczek
who helped him a lot.
What he did do, was to learn German very fast.
Unbelievably fast. He could speak German really soon.
And I learned Polish specifically for Lewy.
"Rusz dupe" was for him. Not the other two.
I asked Kuba how to say "move your ass."
I regret that I wasn't more arrogant
as a football player, not as a person.
Maybe a bit as well. My ego wasn't big enough.
It would have helped me to show a better version of me.
The real me.
KLOPP: Robert lacked aggression.
He lacked passion.
His facial expression was always the same.
I told him that if you don't show things on the outside
it's possible that you don't feel them strong enough.
So, we worked on that too.
Don't judge a book by its cover.
You may not know a person's history,
you don't know what challenges they face.
Sometimes we can hurt them unintentionally.
I think those are challenges that every family faces.
ANNA: In Dortmund we experienced having a home together.
We went on holiday, where we got engaged.
ANNA: Do you remember the boat?
ROBERT: Which one?
ANNA: The one you wanted to take me on for 300 dollars.
No, less.
I wanted to pick the catamaran, for 50.
You wanted to spoil my plan.
I wanted to take you to a deserted island and propose to you.
But you said, "Let's take the catamaran, like everybody else."
I remember coming back.
Tomek called you and asked, "Is it true? Did you get engaged?
You bastard, you didn't tell anyone!"
Yeah, it's true.
I remember I got so annoyed in Cuba,
because you'd forgotten your driver's license.
- I had to drive the whole time. - I don't remember that.
[birds squeaking]
Let's share wafer!
[Iwona laughing]
My beloved husband!
[calm piano music]
ROBERT: My parents both loved their work.
They met because of sport. They fulfilled themselves through sport.
That's why they got along so well.
MILENA: Our parents taught us,
what they knew best,
which was primarily sport.
My mom played volleyball.
So obviously she wanted me to play volleyball too.
My dad didn't want Robert to train judo like him
because it wasn't very popular.
And so, soccer came naturally.
MILENA: Is this all right, Dad?
Beautiful!
ROBERT: In my mind I can still see my dad
running around the field.
He had a six-pack of abs like all judo athletes,
very strong and muscular.
[indistinct dialogue]
Then he started to have problems with his heart, blood pressure.
He lost his spirit.
He used to enjoy a beer.
Later it wasn't only one, but a few.
He wasn't coping with something.
Every time I think of Dad... I'm aware that
I was too young,
a kid really,
to be able to help him.
Or to be there so he could help himself.
[water splashing]
I remember it perfectly
my sister is crying,
my mother says that Dad is dead.
I cried a lot.
[voice breaking] It was possibly...
one of the hardest,
if not the hardest day of my life.
I wasn't ready
to lose
my Dad being so young.
I was growing up
and I was left without a father and without his support
that I needed so much.
And...
he wasn't there anymore.
I didn't know why.
I had so many questions.
Why me? Why my father?
Why now?
And...
[sighs]
After his death I knew
that I needed to grow up faster than I wanted to.
MILENA: We were young. Robert was 15 or 16 years old.
I was 19.
He needed to process it on his own
and it became a driving force later in his life.
Dad wasn't there anymore,
so he became responsible
for finishing what he started.
ROBERT: It was in Dortmund
when I first decided to go to coach Klopp and talk with him.
That conversation
was a game-changer for me
because I could talk with Klopp as if I was talking to my father.
You cannot consciously take up that role.
It can happen only if the player considers you both a coach
and a father figure.
I have never consciously taken up that role.
But what matters to me is the person behind the player.
I believe that only if you are at peace with yourself
can you live up to your full potential as a football player.
ROBERT: Maybe it was the fact
that I talked to a man built like my father.
I felt a connection that I had been missing for years.
I was judging him as a soccer player on the field
and I helped him as a person as much as I could off the pitch.
ROBERT: It was something that I had been missing
and whatever was stopping me inside
let go and gave me a freedom
to express myself as a footballer.
[lively commentary in German] Lewandowski!
ROBERT: It gave me wings to fly.
[rhythmic energetic music]
[dynamic commentary]
ROBERT: I remember we were celebrating in an open bus
with more than 500 thousand people.
[fans cheering loudly]
[man in English] I saw the quality, I saw the speed.
I saw the awareness, I saw the desire. This is what I like about Lewandowski.
THIERRY HENRY ex-footballer, coach
His desire to do more. Always.
Suddenly something changed
and Robert hit the gas.
He became the player he is today.
Robert had nobody to learn from in Poland.
ZBIGNIEW BONIEK UEFA vice-president
Everybody had to learn from him.
The better a player you are in a club, that translates to the national team.
GRZEGORZ KRYCHOWIAK Polish national team
You have more to say on the field and in the dressing room.
ROBERT: It was amazing.
EURO CUP 2012 Poland-Ukraine
I scored the first goal in the national stadium,
in the first game of the Euro Cup which gave us the lead 1:0.
The roof was closed, and it was hot like a sauna.
[lively commentary in Polish]
Lewandowski! He scores!
[roar of cheers]
When the crowd explodes
and you're the center of attention there and then.
I wish you could feel even 1% of what I felt.
[roar of cheers]
Everything started speeding up.
[dynamic music]
[loud cheering]
What is annoying me is that everybody is saying
Lewandowski is scoring goals now.
Like in the past three years.
Lewandowski has been scoring goals
for the past 11 to 12, to 13, to 15 years.
This is now that he became more of a talk.
You know, in town, people are like: “Oh, Lewandowski is good."
Lewandowski has been good for years.
ROBERT: I played a few minutes, sprinted
and tore my biceps femoris in my thigh.
I didn't know what that meant.
It could have been the end.
He'd have to bury all his dreams and start a new life.
I took some frozen food from the refrigerator
and put it on that muscle hoping it would help.
That I'd be able to return to training in a few days.
That it was no big deal, I'd wake up tomorrow and...
But the frozen food didn't help.
I went to the gym by myself, no plan, no one guiding me.
I wanted to know what would happen, would they extend my contract?
No coach would tell me the truth to my face.
But since I got on well with the secretary
I went to her and found out that my contract wouldn't be prolonged.
That I was a free agent.
I couldn't believe it.
Maybe they'll make him come the next day.
Maybe he misunderstood something.
That's why, after talking to him, I was ready to go back.
"Let's go and ask again." "Mom. There's no one to talk to!"
"Let's go I'll talk to them." "But there's no one there."
"What do you mean?" "There's only the secretary."
He walked slowly, his head down.
For the first time I saw fear in his eyes.
But somewhere deep inside I felt...
...you're making a mistake, I won't give up.
It wasn't easy for him.
SYLWIUSZ MUCHA-ORLIŃSKI sports director Znicz Pruszkow
His Mom helped a lot. She came with him to the club to talk.
IWONA: I burst in there with Robert.
My first words were: "I brought you a treasure".
Robert was a bit withdrawn. Hidden behind his mom, a young lad.
The coach said, "We've got a lot of treasures like him here."
"We'll see," I said.
He was in a bad shape. He ran poorly, lacked strength.
He still limped a little bit.
It took almost two months for him to recover.
He thought he wasn't going to play long at this level.
I told him, "All right, Robert, first get better.
Play well here for a while."
Robert said, "Relax, coach."
"First the Polish top division, then a foreign club.
We'll see which one."
ROBERT: We went to Katowice. About 7000 spectators.
During the warm-up the second coach said to me,
"Look, what a stadium, what a crowd."
7000 thousand people in Katowice. That was something.
In the back of my mind, I thought
It was worth training and working so hard.
For the very first time I felt the thrill of a football spectacle.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2013 Semi-final
[intertwined football commentary in German, English and Spanish]
ROBERT: It was a magical moment.
The fact that we made it to the semi-final was a huge success.
When I scored a goal 1 to 0 cheers exploded.
A goal in the Champions League. Against Real.
I saw that the near post was empty.
When I was taking the shot,
I decided to strike the ball differently.
[lively football commentary in German and Italian]
Wow, two goals in the semi-final, and then the third goal.
I thought "Hat-Trick".
[commentator shouts excitedly]
I fell to my knees
and felt a subtle spasm in my thigh.
I thought "Get up!
Before it gets worse!"
I looked at the clock. "Jesus, so much time left?"
I had a rush of adrenaline but I knew I had to keep calm.
A moment later, the penalty kick. Half the world was watching.
A young man before a penalty kick
and the chance to score a fourth goal.
[intertwined commentary in English and German]
[Polish commentator] Lewy! 4th goal!
[cheers exploding]
ROBERT: If you try, you'll always be a step ahead.
I had the chance, there was no room for fear.
I had to take the ball and score the fourth goal.
KLOPP: Amazing game.
Robert's four goals were unbelievable.
It became clear
he had a chance to become the best striker in the world.
[cheering happily]
It was cool.
KARL-HEINZ RUMMENIGGE Bayern Munich manager 2002-2021
Who scores four goals against Real? I don't know anyone else but Robert.
[in Spanish] Robert started to be seen in different light.
XAVI HERNÁNDEZ FC Barcelona coach
Everyone watches if you score goals.
His talent was evident.
His mental, technical, and tactical talent.
THIERRY HENRY: When people start to talk to you, how you played,
your style, how maybe you elevated the game,
then you know: you left the print.
ROBERT: When I came home, I regretted not scoring the fifth goal.
The goalkeeper barely saved it. It was heading for the top-right corner.
Then I asked Anna to make me some pancakes.
[laughing]
I used to eat milk and cornflakes everyday for breakfast,
which was bad for me.
But who knew.
I remember...
- What were they called? - Pampuchy.
Pampuchy, exactly. [Anna laughing]
I didn't know them before.
They were so easy to make.
- Steamed. - They were delicious.
I used to like them.
And the funny name - "Pampuch".
[Anna laughing]
Do you remember our first time living together?
The first months? Shopping together.
Vanilla cream cheese. [Anna laughing]
We had this shop across the street.
I don't know why but that cream cheese stuck in my head.
I also remember trying to buy the best bed linen.
Great place mats.
You said: no way! I won't sleep under one cover with you.
I remember that.
You always stole the covers. What could I do?
I remember an important thing Robert said.
He wanted to win me over.
He grabbed my arms, after we left the cinema.
This was before our first kiss,
and he said,
"Let me show you the man you don't know yet."
He was 19 years old...
OK, that touched my heart.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2013 final
[referee blows whistle]
[chanting]
[whistle blows]
[cries of disappointment]
KLOPP: We could have won the game.
If you lose 1:2 - it was close.
It took me a long time to accept the defeat.
But after so many years you are not afraid that they will call you loser.
[commentators shouting excitedly]
[loud cheering]
Winning is easy. We can all do it.
Celebrate, be happy.
But when you look at the side that lost, it's a different story.
[melancholic music]
KLOPP: I've seen many tears. I shed a few myself.
The problem are thoughts like...
it was the only chance to win the Champions League.
I didn't have any wise words to share.
I picked up a few players from the grass.
We supported each other more with gestures than words.
Every player loses in a different manner.
Some don't think too much.
OLIVER KAHN Bayern Munich goalkeeper
They toughen up and look to the future.
ROBERT: Playing in the final is one thing.
Winning is something different.
I thought we'd reached the limit of our potential with this team.
[pensive music]
I remember talking to Anna
sometime after that final.
She said,
"You are going to win the Champions League.
But you need to be patient. And the path will not be easy."
[Polish hip-hop music playing in car]
Now it's fast by car.
But back then it took me 45 minutes by public transport.
There were these small buses. The last one left at 8 P.M.
Sometimes there was another one at 8.30 P.M.
But only twice a week.
Few times I didn't make it on time and I had to hitchhike.
I knew people were driving home from work.
Since my parents were teachers, people knew me and it worked out.
What did I do on the bus, without a phone?
Probably the same as kids today.
Only that I didn't stare at my phone but at a window.
[hip-hop music continues playing in car]
I was wondering how to conquer the world.
Leszno.
I haven't visited my mother for a long time.
CHASE YOUR DREAMS
I've always thought this house was so big.
But it was me who was small.
Once I put some icicles under the gas box.
I wanted to save them for later.
I had no idea that they would melt. [laughing]
Hey.
Hello.
[cry of delight]
- I'll just grab a nut. - Please do.
[indistinct conversation]
[inaudible dialogue]
[calm music]
A photo from the prom. Me wearing a salmon-pink shirt.
Here you are visiting me with Anna for the first time.
- For the first time? - No.
It was the second or third time.
She was still a blonde.
Here are all my medals.
Look.
[medals clanging]
Not all are mine. Some belong to Milena.
- Maybe. - Some are volleyball medals.
- But you also played. - True.
I won this Walkman in a tournament.
There is still a tape inside.
Do you have any headphones? You need batteries in here?
IWONA: It's from Dortmund.
From the first season. I was number seven.
I had such a big jersey?
I'LL GET BETTER EVERY DAY
The first moment that I wanted to leave
was in summer when sir Alex Ferguson called me.
It was so thrilling and fascinating.
A few years before I could only see a coach like that on TV.
It was the first time I realized that the great clubs may come.
We watched Robert closely.
We scouted him and reached out.
How could we transfer him from Borussia Dortmund?
Clearly nobody would let a player like Robert Lewandowski go.
Bayern didn't come with a pile of money
they wanted to negotiate without a specific offer.
[fans cheering]
Bayern knew that if we kept that team,
Bayern wouldn't be the German champion 10 times in a row.
ROBERT: I perfectly remember all the experts and fans.
"Why go to Bayern?" "You have everything in Dortmund!"
I was a "Star" there. Though I dislike the word.
Why leave my comfort zone?
[fans chanting rhythmically]
Even though we didn't agree,
everything worked out professionally.
We received the final offer in December 2013.
[melancholic music]
It is possible that Robert
was the most important transfer in the history of Bayern.
[camera shutters clicking]
I see myself standing in the locker room.
I didn't expect this, I put it on like any other jersey.
And then...
what an awesome feeling like...
"Wow! I'm here.
I'm wearing something huge."
From the ever first day Robert told me,
"I need to have a team with which I can win the Champions League."
ROBERT: It wasn't that I was in Disneyland,
and I'll be here a moment.
My approach was, I'm here and I want to be the main character.
[laughing]
[lively commentary in English] Lewandowski!
RUMMENIGGE: These were the craziest 9 minutes of football in my life.
Robert goes in. Boom, boom, boom. Every strike was a goal.
ROBERT: I don't remember a thing.
Only when I see it on TV do I remember something
but mostly from a spectator's point of view.
Pep Guardiola made this gesture.
I thought,
"Jesus Christ, what is going on?"
ROBERT: This man changed my perception of football forever.
Not only as sport but as a part of life.
[bike bell ringing]
I discovered that football wasn't everything.
Of course, I continued playing but I saw that there was life off the pitch.
I'm showing where we are.
Let's see the other side. No? Doesn't matter.
Empty.
[indistinct conversation]
- This is nice. - I can't see anything, but…
Excuse me, may I have...
[fans cheering]
ROBERT: I remember the European Championships in France.
With Anna we were trying to have a baby.
She came to France for the tournament
and it turned out that a few days earlier she miscarried.
Despite privately being in pain,
disappointed, sad,
I still had to go out on the field, face it all
and try to concentrate on the game.
[rhythmic breathing]
ROBERT: When you approach the ball your heart rate goes to 200.
[whistle blows]
The goal becomes small and the goalkeeper big.
[fans cheering]
[commentator speaks excitedly]
It's impossible to stay relaxed and strike.
In training sure, but with all the pressure and expectations.
In you head it's like...
Practice makes perfect.
[man in English] A lot of penalty takers,
they can't get this over and done with quickly enough.
GEIR JORDET Sport Psychology Professor
They want to fire their shot and get out.
A typical stress reaction with a penalty shot
is not to look at the goalkeeper
He cannot leave this lack of control.
You score on 93% of your shots.
Which is incredibly high, it's just incredible.
How do you get to that? That's the big question.
[man in German] He stole it from me.
THOMAS MÜLLER Bayern Munich
OK, maybe not stole, anyway, it's a good story.
ROBERT: There was this moment when he didn't score the penalty.
Champions League semi-final.
If he scored, it would take us to the final.
This penalty kick was a turning point because I saw what he did wrong.
I had a mental crisis.
It took me ever longer to strike and that was a problem.
After his penalty kick, I could see that he withdrew.
It was my chance to take on the role.
[steady breathing, grass rustling]
JORDET: Now he is putting in this little stop or pause,
right before he reaches the ball.
And in that pause his eyes are not on the ball,
they're on the goalkeeper.
[fast breathing]
He switches it around.
Not just by taking time and paying attention to the goalkeeper,
but by letting the goalkeeper make the decision for him.
If you want to have any chance,
you need to stand in the goal as long as possible.
It's easy to say, keep still, don't react.
After he hits the ball, no one has no time to react.
It is extremely difficult to use it well.
His penalty game is really about this
incredible cognitive capacity on the one hand,
and incredible emotional pressure coping capacity on the other.
And he melts them together and that's what gives one of the
if not the best penalty taker in the world.
Let's hope it is the last stroll
just the two of us.
Two and a half.
Tomorrow there will be three of us.
- Right? - Mhm.
[Robert, mockingly] "Mhm"!
Look here, Klara!
Smile!
Klara, Klara!
She doesn't want to.
[affectionately] She doesn't want to.
[girl laughing cheerfully]
ROBERT: Klara helped me to open up to people and world in general.
She taught me I could trust people.
She gradually melted my heart
that I used to guard.
When I come back home after a defeat there is someone waiting for you,
someone who doesn't know what happened and is waiting full of joy.
She showed me
how life before and after are two different worlds.
[child shouting]
[indistinct conversation]
ANNA: The presence of family is very important for Robert.
Every time I flew somewhere he wrote to me:
"Coming back to an empty house is the worst possible thing."
Especially after a defeat.
My dreams and the dreams of Polish fans
began after my successes with Bayern Munich.
Unfortunately, that didn't translate to the national team.
2018 WORLD CUP Russia
Things were not as they should be. The quality just wasn't there.
[lively football commentary in English]
ANNA: Robert glanced at me.
Suddenly it was like in a movie.
He was staring at me, and I kept moving towards him.
Passing through the crowd.
He came straight at me.
Tears in his eyes and he said,
"I knew it. Here we go again."
SZCZESNY: You go to your family when you've won the game
to celebrate with them.
It must have hurt him a lot that he went straight to his wife to get support
instead of going to the dressing room with us.
Anger after a defeat is a good thing. Sadness is not.
You could see he was sad.
ROBERT: When the national team loses
the strongest player takes the blame.
I think it's not only in football, also in life.
In every family the person
who stands out or has a successful career
gets the blame first if things go wrong.
ANNA: We were confronted with a lot of hate.
I remember that as a mom.
Klara was only a year old.
I worried because on the one hand I was...
We had a tough time then.
A lot of tough moments, comments, articles.
We talked it through. Anna said, "We'll manage this together."
LOST PUBLIC SYMPATHY?
"We're going to come out stronger than before."
TOO PERFECT
ANNA: We both shed some tears.
And we had a cathartic talk.
I remember it really well
because there aren't many conversations when Robert cried.
Fortunately.
BONIEK: We are impartially envious.
We prefer the defeated, those in second place.
Because the winner is self-confident, happy
and not so humble.
We envy the winner. Robert is like that. He is a winner.
But when you idealize someone, you tend to forget they are human,
you think they have superpowers.
Because they make you dream, hope, because they make you happy.
Sometimes they make you sad unfortunately.
But they do forget that those guys are human.
Robert Lewandowski is human.
He shouldn't get abused like that. Especially, by the way, him.
He asked himself, "Why is it always harder for me?"
I know it doesn't sound sincere,
how is it that Robert Lewandowski has it harder?
[unsettling music mixes with fans chanting]
Individual trophies are great - they validate your form and your skills.
But the most important trophies are won with your team.
Even though I made it to the semi-finals a few times
we didn't make it to the final of the Champions League.
That hurt.
When I went to Rummenigge,
I thought we would have a 15-20 minute conversation.
But we discussed for two hours.
ROBERT: I knew I had nothing to lose and I needed to say what I thought.
I put it all on the table and said what was in my heart.
Robert put his cards on the table. He spoke about problems.
Of course his position in the club
allowed him to question and criticize things.
In football you can't change things overnight.
But since then, the way they saw me and the way I saw myself, has changed.
I noticed that he was dissatisfied with the way we practiced.
HANSI FLICK Bayern Munich coach 2019-2021
He's a person who always wants to go further.
He has this ambition to perfect his game
which is an excellent quality.
[tense music continues]
ROBERT: If you play at the highest level you can't be afraid of responsibility.
You can't avoid taking shots even if you miss.
I was working on myself, on my character, on my mental strength.
I asked, "Do you turn the lights off in the locker room?
Why are you always the last one home?"
Because Robert asks his team mates if they'll stay 30 minutes longer
so he could shoot penalties.
"So you have your training and then you need to stay another 30 minutes."
OK...
Winning trophies, Champions League, becoming the champion...
What is important for me as a coach is the way we achieve things.
If we enjoy doing it together, the results will come.
ROBERT: On the highest level
tactics don't make so much of a difference anymore.
It's the human qualities that make the difference
through self confidence and the support of a coach.
I had a good hunch.
When you are a coach it gives you self-confidence
which you can share with your team.
And so we all felt we could win the Champions League that year.
Klara went to her first game when she was 3 weeks old.
It's still a big thing for her.
"Will daddy wave at me? Did he see me?"
Two, three, four. Hop!
We agreed the day before,
"Daddy, if you score a goal will you give me a sign."
"Of course, darling, what's the sign?"
"When you score, make a circle, then something and a heart."
All right. We have a deal.
Before we set off,
we had asked the families
to say some kind words to their men.
Many players had tears in their eyes.
Score lots of goals and win the game!
Win the match, honey, and fulfill your dreams!
We'll be waiting for you at home. We love you!
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2020 Final
[football commentary in English]
ROBERT: The pressure was huge.
It was my second Champions League final and I'd lost once before.
[tense music]
[whistle blows]
When I hit the goal post I thought,
"Too bad I didn't score a goal in the final."
It could have been enough. Often one goal is enough in a final.
[music speeds up]
[lively commentary in English]
[rhythmic breathing]
ROBERT: Until the final whistle blows
you can't believe that it will actually happen.
[crying]
[TV football commentary in Polish]
[excited crying]
[excited football commentary in German]
Klara fell asleep on me.
I put her into the stroller.
And then suddenly... I still have the video.
Patryk says: [quietly] "We did it!"
And suddenly I burst into tears.
I was crying but I had to cry quietly because the kids were sleeping.
[crying]
We did it! Anna, we did it!
[shouts excitedly]
[singing happily]
I fell to my knees after the final whistle
in my mind I saw the long road I had to travel
to get to where I was.
He was truly touched,
his voice was shaking.
He brought the atmosphere from the pitch, the stadium
home to our family.
I want to show you something.
ANNA: In the most important moment of his life
he called all his friends and screamed, "We did it!"
Yeah!
IWONA: When he raised the Polish flag,
it was symbolic, just beautiful. He had tears in his eyes...
Now I'm touched.
He kissed the pitch and looked above.
To my husband who didn't live to see this moment
but I'm convinced that he would be beside himself with pride.
We would all be crying.
We could see his emotions after the game.
After he won the Champions League an enormous weight had been lifted.
MANUEL NEUER Bayern Munich
It was important for the entire team and for him personally.
His emotions were visible.
He finally fulfilled his dreams and was ready to let go.
RUMMENIGGE: Robert was sitting on the grass.
His eyes full of tears and the cup beside him.
I approached him and said,
"See Robert, you can win the Champions League with Bayern."
[pensive music]
JORDET: Being out there on the field is incredibly complex.
And it's very different than seeing the game on TV,
or seeing the game on the stadium,
where you have a little bit of height to get perspective.
But being out there on the field, you're in the middle of action.
There are bodies in the way of your viewpoints.
Judging distances, judging depth and width
just comes with a whole new set of challenges.
[pensive music]
XAVI: Robert is not a striker that only scores goals.
The way he moves is unbelievable. We often can't see his maneuvers.
It is easier for me because I'm coach, but when your heart rate is 180
and you are playing against an opponent it's hard.
He has an unbelievable sense of space and time.
He knows when to play or hit the ball.
He understands the game.
If at the age of 30, or maybe earlier 27, 28,
you can learn something you've never done before,
what does that mean?
It means you had the talent, but no one saw it
or was able to bring it out.
Many of my capabilities were neglected.
They got suppressed when I was a kid.
When I was dribbling, I'd lose the ball, of course.
I was told: "Pass it, don't lose the ball."
or "Play it easy, straight."
As footballers, we start working when we are very young.
When you turn 20, it seems you are very experienced.
The truth is that we learn all the time.
Robert has the skills to notice, learn and use new things as his own.
- [in Spanish] Hi! - Hi! How are you?
- Good, how are you? - Good.
JORDET: You always want to make sure that your eyes are exposed
to the most important information in your environment
at any point in time.
Every time the ball is being touched you want to look at the ball.
But between those touches you don't have to look at the ball.
Why would you when the ball is mid-air and nothing is happening to the ball?
That's exactly the key to the timing of scanning.
Only a handful of players are able to do this well and consistent
time and time again and Lewandowski is one of them.
Muy bien!
THIERRY HENRY: You know, sometimes, when you have the given percentage
of where the ball, is where the goal is, and it tells you the percentage
of score from that position is 60.
For a normal player. For Lewandowski it might be 90.
So that's why when he is in that position, even the team,
would prefer him to shoot than passing it.
That's him because he earned it.
That's the attitude of the proper number 9.
Natural born scorer.
[commentator in German] A chance for Gerd Müller...
When I was a small boy who started playing football
there was this record by Gerd Müller already
that lasted so many years.
There was only one man who scored 40 goals - Gerd Müller.
Nobody has ever believed that someone could beat it.
LAURA WONTORRA sport journalist
That's the reason why the little kids become professional athletes
because they want to beat the record, to achieve the impossible.
[football commentary in German]
ROBERT: I didn't think about it during the season
because I didn't want to burden myself with any additional pressure.
I started thinking about it
when I got injured.
[in German] I always say, it's like a stab in the heart.
When you work with the players every day we are like a big family.
HOLGER BROICH fitness coach Bayern Munich
And it feels as if your own child got injured.
It affects me because I see how the boys are hurting.
The first few days were difficult.
I was wondering, what are positives that I can get out of this situation.
MAN 1: Do you want to turn left?
MAN 2: He is riding quite well!
There's not enough snow.
ROBERT: Over time I understood
why my father wanted me to train other sports, not only football.
I can still feel the difference now.
BROICH: The problem today is that young professional players
train only one thing - football.
Robert told me that he tried many different disciplines.
Athletics, basketball, handball, ping pong.
[giggling]
ROBERT: Often my mom, my sister and I would practice tumbles in our garden.
[excited football commentary in Polish]
ROBERT: Agility and flexibility are helpful on the field.
If there is a hard collision I can walk away unharmed.
COMMENTATOR: A brutal tackle!
You gotta be in good health for football, you have to be tough.
And Robert has that.
[atmospheric music]
I had 39 goals, and two games left.
I felt the pressure.
I scored the 40th goal and tied the record.
Later I had a chance in the second half.
Normally, I could close my eyes and shoot it however
it should have gone in.
But I knew it wouldn't be so easy.
There was a certain time when he got push back,
because the press wrote a lot about the record.
Can he beat the record?
Should he not break it out of respect for Gerd Müller?
[German and English football commentary]
In the first half I was in the penalty area three times
and could have scored.
But I was looking for Robert to pass him the ball.
But it didn't work.
Then he came to me and said,
"Please stop with this fake passing.
We can't force it. Either this happens or it doesn't."
I was angry with myself, I was nervous and annoyed.
I thought, "No, I can't do it."
During the game I had the feeling, "Does he want it?
Does it burden him? The pressure?"
Fate can be cruel.
What did I say? "Krzysztof!
Do something! Or I won't visit your grave!"
I felt an impulse that went through my body.
I thought, no! You need to be ready!
There will be one moment, and you have to make it count.
[football commentary in German and English]
[commentators shouting excitedly]
[fans cheering]
ROBERT: When Leroy Sané took his shot and Giki lost the ball.
I knew I had to get it.
It's a split second when you simply know,
this is it.
You'll score.
You'll beat the record. You'll make history.
Not only the history of Bundesliga, but the history of football.
Gerd's wife, Ushi, said, "He would have wanted it."
She took him in her arms and said, "Robert, I congratulate you.
The record is broken. And you earned it like no one else."
I started being interested in football in 1974.
The football of my youth.
Gerd Müller was the star.
And I admit that being Bayern Munich fan
it stung a little bit.
Because it was our "Gerd". The national striker.
There were comments that maybe I shouldn't have broken the record.
That it was unnecessary.
I saw something in people that I didn't expect.
After Messi had left Barcelona
the club had been somewhat orphaned, though that's not the right word.
We didn't have a global star on the team.
The spot was up for grabs.
[announcer in German] Two-time best player in the world -
Robert Lewandowski!
[loud cheering]
ROBERT: I was always fair with Bayern
I shared what I felt, I told them what might happen in the future.
I knew that in the end Bayern would do what was best for them.
[fans chanting] Lewy stays! Lewy stays!
Fans have good hunch.
He will fulfill the contract. That's it.
Today one thing is certain,
my time with Bayern has come to an end.
I trust that the club will not keep me just because they can.
When I put myself in Robert Lewandowski's shoes
I can't understand why everything was played so openly.
Are we going to have Lewandowski here next week?
We will see.
Dreams don't cost a thing. But players do.
I don't want to talk about players.
JOAN LAPORTA president of FC Barcelona
It wouldn't be fair to Bayern Munich with whom he has a deal.
[reporter] Mr. Rummenigge, can we ask you some questions?
Lewandowski is going to stay in Bayern this season?
Who?
Lewandowski is going to stay in Bayern?
He will stay?
Hasan Saklihamidzic said yesterday that his dad taught him
"When you go, don't close the door with your butt."
We are talking about Lewandowski. Lewandowski!
PEP GUARDIOLA Manchester City coach
He would be a good fit anywhere.
I expected that if I stayed in Bayern one or two years,
my passion and love for football would dim.
That I'd be lacking additional stimulus.
XAVI: The president of the Club informed us
that Lewandowski wishes to finish his career in Barcelona.
I thought, "This is awesome!
Having Lewandowski here would be spectacular!"
When I look in the mirror in 5, 10 or 15 years
I wouldn't be able to look myself in the eye
and ask, "Why didn't you try?"
Usually, Mateu simply calls me.
This time he wanted to talk on Zoom.
A video call? I was surprised but answered.
I was in park with my kids,
I look at the screen and there is Lewandowski.
I said, "Wait a sec" because there were many people behind me.
I greeted him and said:
"Robert, I know you want to play for Barca.
We are honored. We will try to organize everything as best as possible.
You are going to love the city. You'll be happy."
[in Spanish] From no money to a deal with Lewandowski.
Financial miracle of FC Barcelona.
The deal between Barca and Bayern is real.
The Pole is going to play for Culés next season.
Anna asked me every day: "Do you know anything?"
- And I said... - No, it wasn't like this.
I didn't know myself what was going to happen.
[in German] It was shitty. He left us, disgraceful.
The best thing that could have happened to FC Bayern. To let him go.
I didn't like the reaction of management.
I think he belongs to Bayern. It hurts to see him in a different club.
- Killer. - Without honor.
- Friend. - Traitor.
He gave it all to the club.
I think that Robert Lewandowski was disappointed
with how everything ended.
That there was no big, romantic goodbye ceremony.
Or a big football love that would last until the end of his career.
[street noise]
ROBERT: The presentation ceremony
was during a work day and 60 thousand people showed up...
It felt unreal.
You can't really believe what's happening.
[announcer chants in background] Lewandowski!
[fans chanting] Lewandowski!
It's as if you were watching a movie
or a presentation of players from your childhood.
[announcer in Spanish]
Robert Lewandowski!
[orchestra playing festive tune]
[cheers, applause]
[singing]
[upbeat music]
[chanting] Lewandowski!
I got the ball and thought:
"This ball is somehow different.
Kind of more inflated, more artificial."
Or that's what I felt.
I told myself: "Concentrate.
And do what you feel or what the ball tells you."
[fans cheering]
[energetic music]
I felt...
love.
[chanting] Lewandowski!
Lewandowski!
Barça! Barça! Barça!
There was a magic between Lewandowski and the fans.
He has fun, he is happy. Like a kid.
I feel like a kid in a candy shop.
Even though I've seen the candy before, the joy is even bigger.
[football commentary in Spanish]
COMMENTATOR: Lewando-, Lewando-, Lewan-goal!
[commentator chants joyfully]
Lewandowskiiii!
The way he gets on with younger players is amazing. I didn't expect that.
I imagined a natural leader who scores goals like a robot.
Since the moment he entered the locker rooms
everything clicked.
[calm music]
[upbeat music]
[cheering mixes with music]
My career being in the era of Messi and Ronaldo
helped me to get to this level.
They set the records and scored the goals
and thanks to them I managed it.
I've said that Robert Lewandowski
is the only player I know, who would play in Pyongyang
without any audience and he would still give his best,
score goals and so on.
You have a lot of guys that didn't win Ballon d'Or, World Cup or the Euro.
For me is what you leave, your legacy,
the impact, what do you transcend, what do you transmit.
Hundreds of millions of kids play football worldwide.
I started to think that even if you are the best player in your team,
someone out there can be better than you.
So you need to have much broader perspective.
Despite all the comments:
"You won't make it. You're too skinny, too weak. Technically not good enough."
MAN: Bobek!
I wanted to prove that a boy from Poland,
growing up on the outskirts of Warsaw
is able to achieve great things and reach quite high.
BOY: Bobek!
[upbeat music]
produced by PAPAYA FILMS
director MACIEK KOWALCZUK
executive producer KACPER SAWICKI
producer JAKUB GALANTY
producer FILIP KOPEĆ
Amazon Prime Video production ANDREAS HARTMANN VOLKER NEUENHOFF
directors of photography ADAM SUZIN JAN GROBLIŃSKI
editors ARKADIUSZ IWANIUK ŁUKASZ SWARYCZEWSKI
music WOJTEK URBAŃSKI ŁUKASZ PALKIEWICZ
sound designer BŁAŻEJ KAFARSKI