Bayern Munich Alumni: FC Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski disappointed, but undeterred with Champions League flameout

Former Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski’s controversial move to FC Barcelona backfired in year one.

Unable to get out of the Group Stage in the Champions League, Lewandowski is putting on a brave face for his younger teammates.

“Obviously I’m not happy, Barcelona should be in the last 16. But before I came to Barça I was already aware that the first season could definitely be more difficult than it should be. We are in the process of rebuilding which takes time, we must be patient,” Lewandowski said (as captured by Barca Universal). “I’m sure these setbacks will make us grow as a team and that everything will be different next season. We are evolving. I wasn’t expecting to arrive and that everything would go well in season one. I insist that it is a process that requires time and patience.”

What was particularly disappointing for the Pole was how his team fared against Bayern Munich and Inter Milan.

“Matches like those in Munich or Milan change you. We have a lot of youngsters who need to gain experience and learn to find a way to win these types of games. It’s small details. You have to face some situations with more intelligence,” said Lewandowski. “In football sometimes you have to know how to win and not how to play to win, and that’s what happened to us. But these things will make us stronger in the future.”

FC Barcelona will now move to the Europa League, where it will hope for a much better outcome than it experience in the Champions League.