Working the Pole: a brief history of Real Madrid and Lewandowski’s forbidden love

The on-again, off-again love affair between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski is once again heating up. While each side has at times viewed the other with googly eyes, the silent whispers of this courtship date back five years to 2013, when this site noted that the then-Dortmund enigma was a target of both Los Blancos and the Reds. That Spanish courtship, though, was interrupted when Bayern Munich swept in and locked down the uber-talented Lewandowski for five years.

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Again, in 2016, the Polish hitman seemed poised to rekindle the flames, but alas, Bayern steadfastly blocked Real Madrid from scooping up the Paczki of its eye. Despite those failures, last April Cristiano Ronaldo himself got in on the act, swooning over Lewandowski and hoping to bring the Polish international into the Madrid fold. And even as recently as last September, Real Madrid and Lewandowski were linked in various reports, as some ominously noted that Lewandowski was brushing up on his Español.

I can’t quit you, for Real

Bayern be damned, however, Real Madrid just will not give up the chase, as Los Blancos have once again been linked to Lewandowski. At least one outlet believes that Lewandowski will make the first move, while another reported last month that Real Madrid is eyeing up some double trouble with a bold strategy to bring in both Lewandowski and Chelsea superstar and Belgian international Eden Hazard. In that scenario, the Real Madrid management team seems to be channeling one-hit wonder Stacy Q, who once belted out, “Two of hearts, two hearts that beat as one, two of hearts, I need you, I need you.”

All kidding and love connections aside, Lewandowski is not just one of greatest strikers in the world, as he is often lauded, but also one of the best players. Not many players command the attention Lewandowski does in the box, and the timing of his runs and expert positioning have made him as dangerous a threat to score as any player in the game. His combination of technical skill, shooting accuracy, and field awareness make him valuable to any team, but especially to a team like Real Madrid, which is seeking to reinvent itself after a morbid (by its own lofty standards) La Liga season.

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Los Blancos, who have won three of the past four Champions League titles, have a keen sense of urgency to return to the top of La Liga and displace FC Barcelona as the lead side in Spain.

In the end, this saga will extend at least another four months or so, as the action heats up toward the next transfer window. Perhaps Real Madrid will send Lewandowski a Rosetta Stone course to further brush up on his Spanish, and Lewy will reply with a heart-eyed emoji text message. Regardless, maybe Lewandowski should follow the sage advice of Stephen Stills for a while—at least until Bayern’s run at a Champions League title and possible treble ends: “If you can’t be with the one you love, honey, love the one you’re with.”