Furious Barcelona star hits out at national teammates due to lack of service – ‘This is not my job’

Barcelona and Poland forward Robert Lewandowski has expressed frustration with his national teammates following Poland’s 1-3 defeat against Portugal. 

At 36, Lewandowski remains Poland’s key player, yet his role with the national team is far less effective than his performances for Barcelona. 

The striker, who currently leads La Liga in goals, struggles to showcase his primary strength—finishing—because he rarely receives the ball in key areas when playing for Poland.

Unlike at Barcelona, where Lewandowski is consistently supplied with passes in the final third, the Polish national team often fails to create similar opportunities. 

Frustrated with lack of service

This was evident in their recent loss to Portugal. Lewandowski analysed the match critically, highlighting the lack of service from his teammates. 

He stressed that as a striker, his role is to be positioned near the opponent’s goal, waiting for crosses and passes, rather than dropping deep into midfield to retrieve the ball.

“I’m not a midfielder and my job is not to drop to the defensive line to receive the ball in my own half,” he began by saying as quoted by Mundo Deportivo.

The forward pointed out that Poland’s inability to bring the ball into attacking areas is not only a problem against strong teams like Portugal but a general issue. 

Robert Lewandowski was not happy with Poland’s performance against Portugal. (Photo by Rafal Oleksiewicz/Getty Images)

“During the match, I have to be closer to the area and wait for crosses, passes and balls there until something happens.”

He emphasised the need for change, urging his teammates to improve the delivery of balls to the attacking third, allowing him to perform his role as a striker. 

“This is something we need to improve or change. Not only against Portugal but in general, we don’t seem to have the ball often near the opponent’s area and the role of the striker is to try to do something there,” he noted.

Stark difference between Poland’s Lewa and Barça’s Lewa

Comparing his club and international form, the statistics clearly reflect the difference. At Barcelona, Lewandowski has averaged nearly 6 touches per game in the penalty area, while for Poland, this number is significantly lower. 

His shots per game at Barça stand at almost 4, but when playing for Poland, he averages only 2.33 shots.

Lewandowski’s frustration is understandable, as he continues to perform exceptionally well for Barcelona but struggles to make a similar impact with his national team due to the lack of support and service in attacking areas. 

The Polish side will need to address these issues if they are to make better use of their star forward.