World Soccer - UK (2022-01)

2021 AWARDS RE SULTS

WorldPlayeroftheYear

ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI

f alltheeliteplayersto have
beenovershadowed by the
astonishingachievementsof
LionelMessiandCristianoRonaldoin
thelastdecade,few have remainedas
consistently prolificasRobert
Lewandowski.He mayhavehadtowait
untilbeyondhis 30 thbirthday,butthe
Polandmarksmanhasnow movedoutof
thatshadowand establishedhimself as
theworld’sbestcentre-forward.
In 20 20,he wasrewardedfor
spearheadingBayern’streble-winning
outfit,recognisedasthe best playerin
thebestteam;theoutstandingcogin
anincrediblemachine.Thisyearthough,
it’sbeenall abouthim.Otherthantheir
entirelypredictableretention of the
Bundesliga crown,theBavariansfailed
tohit theheights of thepreviousseason,
andindoingsotheyproved just how
muchtheyrelyonLewandowski.
Theymissedhimbadlyinthe
ChampionsLeaguequarter-final defeat
toParisSaint-Germain,whena rare
kneeinjury ruledhimoutofboth legs.
Itisalsohard to imaginethatBayern
wouldhavesufferedtheirshocksecond-
roundexitfromthe 2 02 0-2 1 German
Cupto HolstenKielif theirtalismanic
strikerhad startedthematch.
Thesheer volumeofgoalsthathe
scoredwasfrightening.GerdMuller’s
record of 40 in oneBundesliga campaign
hadstoodforalmost 50 yearsbefore
lastseason;notonlydidLewandowski
breaktherecord,hedidsohavingplayed
fivefewer games. Indeed,lastseason
wasthefirsttimethatthe Polehad

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Polandhero...Lewandowskioninternationalduty